Downtown Middlesboro Fact Sheet on Moist Vote

We recognize there are sensitivities surrounding the moist issue and respect the right of everyone to form their own opinion. Here are some facts to assist with making a decision on this important issue. We also encourage you to visit the “Planning” page of our website to see our plans for the future of downtown at www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.

For residents in Middlesboro and Bell County…

• The Downtown Middlesboro Market Analysis in 2013 identified $373,000 of buying power in Middlesboro and $976,000 in Bell County for alcoholic beverages consumed in restaurants.

Middlesboro and Bell County residents’ buying power for services and products

Source: Retail market analysis for downtown Middlesboro, CLUE Group, November 2013. Available online at www.downtownmiddlesboro.org/planning.htm.

For Cumberland Gap National Historical Park visitors…

• Of the 854,000 visitors to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, if their household demographics are those of the national average, we estimate they spend roughly $629 million annually on dining out and alcoholic beverages at restaurants.
• They also spend $798 million on gasoline and motor oil, $65 million for lodging on out-of-town trips, and $24 million on movie and theatre tickets.
• Attracting just a fraction of a percentage of Park visitors – and their purchasing power – to downtown Middlesboro could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in new retail and restaurant sales for downtown businesses.

For residents of our region…

• If we captured just one-tenth of one percent of the amount that residents from the Knoxville and Kingsport-Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Areas spend on dining out, this would yield approximately $600,000.
• This is more than enough to support additional downtown restaurants and boost the sales of existing downtown businesses and restaurants according to our Retail Market Analysis.

The Wing Fling brought several hundred people downtown earlier this year. Photo credit: DDM.

Since 2006 Discover Downtown Middlesboro has led efforts to restore our historic downtown. We’ve done this a number of ways through helping businesses improve their storefronts, supporting new and existing businesses, and holding a number of festivals and events to attract people downtown.

Our vision statement approved in 2013 clearly describes the sort of downtown that we want:

“A wide variety of shops and restaurants provide daily necessities and a quick and inexpensive meal, to higher-end goods, services, and fine dining all at locally-owned businesses. People travel from miles around to be part of the fun and excitement that Downtown Middlesborough offers as word spreads about the wide variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options here." 

Whatever your opinion, we encourage you to vote on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.