Paris, Tenn.–Since the start of his campaign to be elected the next State House Representative for District 75, Bruce Griffey has been vocal about his opposition to the demolition of Paris Landing State Park Inn. Griffey said he will continue his opposition by meeting with state officials on Monday.
Griffey said he has been trying to persuade the state to consider other options to demolishing the current Inn and has communicated with state officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Environment and Conservation and Governor Bill Haslam, along with Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Bill Lee and his team.
In response to a letter Griffey wrote on September 14 to Governor Haslam, Deputy Governor Jim Henry and a senior staff member of the the Department of Environment and Conservation have scheduled a meeting with Griffey on Monday, October 8, at the State Capitol. With the demolition of the Inn looming, Griffey said he is hopeful to, “at a minimum, convince the State to delay demolition until the next Governor is determined on November 6 and has the opportunity to provide input.“
Griffey said he advocates for renovating the Inn, which he said would do these things: (1) save taxpayer dollars that can be diverted to other needed projects such as addressing the Asian Carp issue and marketing the area for increased tourism; (2) save tax revenue generated from the operation of the Inn critical to the financial health of the surrounding counties; (3) prevent the loss of any further event attractions from the area due to closure and demolition of the Inn; (4) save the jobs of numerous Henry and Stewart County residents; (5) prevent losses to local businesses who rely heavily on tourism and (6) save a piece of history.
Griffey said he is not alone in his feeling about demolishing the Inn, noting that the Dover Board of Mayor and Alderman passed a resolution earlier this year on February 12, requesting that demolition be delayed until the next Governor has the opportunity to review the plans, and, the Stewart County Commission passed a similar resolution. He noted that Henry County officials have expressed concern about the financial stress that closure of the Inn will have on Henry County.
Photo: Griffey speaks with employees of Paris Landing State Park Inn at the Inn on its last day of operation on August 5. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Griffey).