Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 4, 1993 TAG: 9307020008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Representatives of the Wythe Arts Council, which sponsors the annual nine-day Chautauqua in the Park each summer, are concerned that the convention center project will infringe on the Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park, where festival activities are held.
The ninth annual festival ended Sunday after drawing thousands of people to its musical performances, plays, lectures and other presentations, and to its arts and crafts flea market.
One day later, Arts Council speakers made an emotional appeal to Wytheville Town Council to spare the park behind the Wytheville Community Center on which they have done so much work over the years.
Mayor Trent Crewe pointed out how crowded the park was during some of the festival's most popular performances and suggested Chautauqua may already have outgrown the surroundings.
He said there could be problems handling medical or other emergencies under such crowded conditions.
The proposed convention center for 200 to 300 people would be a project of the town and Wythe County Community Hospital. It was announced Sept. 14.
The Community Center would be expanded, not only to accommodate conventions, but to include a wellness and fitness center planned by the hospital.
The estimated cost of the expansion was $3 million. The town would build it and recoup its investment by renting the health and fitness sections to the hospital.
Wytheville has 36 restaurants and 1,169 motel rooms but has been limited in the size of conventions it can handle. The Holiday Inn and Wytheville Ramada Inn each can take care of up to 150 participants.
No timetable for developing the proposed convention center has been announced.
by CNB