The Soldotna Visitor Center saw lower number of tourists in their building this summer.
Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tami Murray cited the center’s lack of restroom facilities for the decrease.
Murray: “This year the Soldotna Visitor Center did not see any tour buses and the main reason is that we don’t have the bathroom facilities to take care of them when they do stop. They did in fact stop in town, spend a little bit of money, ate some meals and then headed over to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s new visitor center, which is a lot more appealing for a bathroom stop.”
Murray says more adequate restrooms will be included into plans for the expanded Soldotna Visitor’s Center the chamber is hoping to build on the “Davis Block property” along the Kenai River.
Murray: “We have a deal with the city, a 5-year deal to try to raise the money to make that happen so we are well underway in our first stages of finding someone to help put that together. In the next few months we should be able to report a little bit more about it. We are definitely moving forward and hoping to build a new facility there next to the [Soldotna Creek] park. The park’s being used so much and I think adding on a facility would just be exceptional.”
She says with tight state and city budgets for the coming years, the chamber will be looking for creative ways to fund raise for the proposed visitors center.
The Chamber board of directors plans to review marketing firms to help in those fundraising efforts and make a decision on a firm in the coming months.
