By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – On the morning of March 18, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Planning Board met in the Tribal Council chambers to provide project updates. A major project of discussion was an agricultural center on the old Cherokee High School grounds that could also be used as a recreational sports facility.
EBCI Secretary of Commerce Sean Ross shared that EBCI Commerce is in the early stages of planning a multi-use facility to house agricultural events and sports tourism events on the grounds of the old Cherokee High School site. Ross assured the board that the location would remain the site for the annual Cherokee Indian Fair, even after completion of the multi-use facility.
“We were looking at this ag center that would facilitate several things that we would want to do with our initiatives. We want to have rodeos, we want to have monster truck races, we want to have any sort of livestock events that we can have there. This property will have the flexibility to do things like powwows, rodeos, all the things of that nature, and adjacent to that we were looking at a multi-use facility along the lines of a facility that would house 4 to 6 courts—basketball courts, volleyball courts, things of that nature all within that footprint,” Secretary Ross said. “We’re looking at structures right now to minimize the cost to that. We’re looking at sprung structures, we’re looking at various structures that are cost effective for what we’re trying to do for this facility to have the capacity to scale up or down as we see fit.”
Principal Chief Michell Hicks mentioned the idea of a basketball and indoor track facility that could compete with other complexes. “We talked about sports recreation and sports tourism in just thinking about a multi-use facility that maybe kind of weaves a couple opportunities together from a cultural and recreational sports tourism perspective.”
“I did talk to some folks that are in the basketball business and I know there’s a lot of other things— wrestling, volleyball, etcetera—but I think that to some level we’ve proven that there’s a very capable market here,” Chief Hicks said.
Chief Hicks added that one his contacts who runs basketball tournaments believes that with a facility that houses four basketball gyms, Cherokee could bring in 40 to 60 teams over a weekend, while six to eight gyms could bring in 80 to 100, and eight or more gyms could bring over 100 teams.
“If we get to a hundred plus, his perspective was we’ll compete with Rock Hill, we’ll definitely compete with Knoxville and their convention center, and we can start bringing a lot bigger events into the area.”
Chief Hicks also mentioned the potential of a 200-meter track on the inside of the facility to host indoor track events.
Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley referenced the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial (LJVM) Coliseum where the Cherokee High School Lady Braves recently won the NCHSAA 1A State Basketball Championship as a location with similar facilities and events. “Right behind the Wake Forest coliseum that the girls played ball in there’s a great facility with exactly what you described.”
Secretary Ross shared that he was aware of the facilities at LJVM, and he wants to create something similar, but with a single facility rather than multiple. “There’s an ag center there and there’s a multi-use complex right beside Lawrence Joel Coliseum and they do a lot of the same things there. They have hockey events, they have basketball tournaments, they have all kinds of basketball tournaments there. They have rodeos, they have monster truck races, a lot of things that we’re trying to do. Now, those are two separate facilities, and we would like to try to put something together that’s more along the lines of one facility.”
Tutiyi (Snowbird) and Tsalagi Gadugi (Cherokee Co.) Tribal Council Rep. Adam Wachacha asked if a market study would be conducted for this project. Ross said that they are “initiating that process to assign that study to someone.”
Secretary Ross also addressed the issue of accommodation and parking. “A lot of the feedback that I’ve heard is when we have events, that sometimes some of the hoteliers bump those rates up and make it cost prohibitive to have some of these people stay locally. So, we’re working with Kituwah, LLC. to manage those rates and get reasonable aggressive rates for Hampton, which currently holds 60 rooms.”
Elawodi (Yellowhill) Tribal Council Rep. Tom Wahnetah asked about an on-site hotel.
Secretary Ross responded that an on-site hotel is not in the initial plan but could potentially be built if needed. “I think if we do a study and if we see that it warrants to have something on a larger scale, we do have the footprint to bring something like that in that space.”
“Might as well put a Sports Illustrated resort in,” Rep. Wahnetah noted, referencing the EBCI’s current business partnership with Sports Illustrated resorts.
Secretary Ross said that the facility would have enough parking if adjacent lots were to be used, and he does not think they need to purchase more property as it stands now. Tribal Council Chairman and Wayohi (Wolftown) Rep. Mike Parker suggested an on-site parking deck as an option as well.
