A public meeting was held on 28 June 2007 for the unveiling of the final conceptual plan that will be used to obtain funding to build the museum.  The consultants have studied the area and the plan for the museum in Coal Creek.  Of course for a the museum to be successful in improving the economy of the area and preserving the rich coal mining history, the numbers have to work.  (See more detailed meeting summary at end of this page)

In the State of Tennessee, of the top 50 spots for tourism, 22 of them are in East Tennessee. The study shows that the museum would most likely attract an average of 180,000 visitors a year.  It must meet three criteria:

The proposed size of the museum is between 25,000 and 40,000 square feet.  Two possible schemes were discussed.  The museum should serve the community as a whole and be used as several things; cultural center, host traveling exhibits, dances, market, education, and include flex space.  The more uses we can get from the building, the better for the community and the success of the museum.

The layout of the museum will be so that the visitor has a valued experience which will include:

Build a museum and they will come...

National Coal Miners’ Museum at Lake City (Coal Creek)
28 June Meeting Summary:

The design team performing a feasibility study for the proposed National Coal Miners’ Museum at Lake City (Coal Creek) presented their final study to Mayor Buck Wilson and City Council members before a public audience last night at City Hall in Lake City.  The proposed museum, to be located on a site in downtown Lake City, convenient to Interstate 75, will “celebrate the region’s dramatic coal mining heritage through unique interactive experiences.”  The museum will tell the story of the Coal Creek Wars of 1891-92, which led to the abolition of the convict leasing system through out the South.  It will also relate the heroism and courage of the miners and rescuers associated with the Fraterville Mine Disaster of 1902 and the Cross Mountain Mine Disaster of 1911.  The Welsh educational and religious influence and Appalachian artifacts will join to “tell the story of a strong willed and resourceful people,” according to the museum mission statement, crafted by the designers.

The design team, headed by Bullock Smith & Partners, lead architect, presented two possible schemes.  The first scheme calls for a lobby of approximately 1000 SF, a small gift shop, a café, and a 12,000 SF permanent exhibition space, for a gross building area of 23,000 SF.  Terry Healy of Gallagher & Associates, the project exhibit designer, pointed out that an exhibition space of 12,000 to 15,000 SF would allow for a visitor experience of roughly 60 to 90 minutes – an optimum time for a museum visit.  The second scheme calls for a larger lobby space, a 15,000 SF permanent exhibition space, a 2,000 SF auditorium, a 2,000 SF cultural center, and a 3,000 SF temporary exhibits gallery, for a gross building area of 40,000 SF.  Tommy Wade, project manager for Bullock Smith & Partners, explained that the addition of the auditorium and temporary exhibits gallery would make the facility more of community building, allowing local organizations to rent out space for meetings and other events.  The temporary exhibits gallery would also provide the opportunity for hosting traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian and other organizations.  Such traveling exhibits might deal with labor relations in the US, Welsh or Appalachian Culture, energy or history.

Others on the design team include Land & Leisure of Dallas, Texas, an economic consulting firm, and BWSC, a Knoxville engineering firm.  The feasibility study was presented to Mayor Wilson, who will take several weeks to review, in consultation with community leaders.  Fund raising would begin soon after the final report is accepted.  Depending on which scheme is chosen, approximate project cost would be in the $12 to 20 million range.  Anticipated completion date of the museum is early 2010.

Scheme B 

Lobby                                              1,000 SF

Permanent Exhibit Space                15,000 SF

Gift Shop                                           800 SF

Administrative Suite                        2,000 SF

Exhibit Work Room                           400 SF

A/V Equipment                                  400 SF

Café                                                2,000 SF

Auditorium                                      2,000 SF

Culture Center                                 2,000 SF

Temporary Exhibit                           3,000 SF

Restrooms                                             * SF

Mechanical                                            * SF

Electrical                                               * SF

 Net Total                                      28,600 SF

Grossing Factor                                 1.4

Gross Total                                   40,040 SF