Birthplace of Country Music Alliance begins pre-construction improvements to site of Cultural Heritage Center

On August 6, 2008, officials from the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance announced that the organization will begin pre-construction activities at the site of the future Birthplace of Country Music Cultural Heritage Center, located at 520 Cumberland Street, Bristol, Virginia. These activities will include the demolition of existing partitions, walls, and clean-up of the interior of the building; replacing the structure’s roof; and development of construction documents.

“These improvements will enable the organization to move towards starting construction activities in early 2009,” commented Bill Hartley, Executive Director. Hartley noted that the demolition and clean-up of the interior of the building will allow the architects to complete a survey of the building necessary for construction drawings. In addition to the demolition, the replacement of the roof will allow the organization to prevent any further deterioration to the structure of the building before construction begins. “By doing this work now, it will save the organization time and money, allowing us to quickly move into construction next year.” Hartley added that the work is also a tangible demonstration of the progress being in the planning of the facility. “This is something that the community can see as visible progress and an improvement to the facility.”

Funding for these activities is made possible by a recent grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. “We appreciate the support of the Virginia Tobacco Commission is assisting us with this phase of the project,” commented Hartley. Hartley added that in their evaluation of the grant proposal, the commission staff commented that “the resulting plans and broad community support are reflected in a game plan for a high quality facility that will be a significant visitor destination.”

The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission is a 31-member body created by the 1999 General Assembly. It has, as a significant part of its mission, the promotion of economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities. To date, the Commission has awarded 973 grants totaling more than $432 million across the tobacco region of the Commonwealth. For complete information on all of the Commission’s history, mission, funding programs and past awards, visit our website at www.tic.virginia.gov.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. For more information about the cultural heritage center project, click here