According to their third quarter report of May- September 2014, the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce saw a 7% decrease in visitors to the Soldotna visitor’s center in June.
Chamber Executive Director Michelle Glaves said that decrease coincides with what used to be a typically high king salmon fishing season.
With low runs in the past few years, she said the chamber is exploring other ways to attract business to the Kenai during the slower summer months.
Glaves: “The reason that our board has been so interested in an enlarged visitor center and conference center to bring conferences less than 400 people to town in those shoulder seasons to make up for some of that revenue that we’re lacking in seeing a down turn in visitors. But would be a great way to give an economic boost to Soldotna and the whole peninsula in some of those shoulder seasons.”
As we previously reported, the Chamber met with architects in April and received concept designs that were tailored towards the property which is adjacent to Soldotna Creek Park.
Glaves: “The city also put in to place, they just contracted with a company that came down and did some studies that will piggyback on the studies that the chamber had paid for and done. So we should have that report in about a month, it should be interesting when we get that report back to see how that all works together.”
Ultimately the decision for a new visitors center would be made by the City of Soldotna.