Fundraising under way for Bass Fishing Hall of Fame; retail space planned

CULLMAN The quest to build the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in Cullman has taken a major step forward with the launching of a major fundraising campaign.

Provided that the fundraising effort falls into place, hall of fame board of directors chairman Sammy Lee said a grand opening for the facility could happen in late 2016.

Lee said three major contributors for the campaign to gain construction funds have already been secured. The campaign is reaching across the nation and internationally. In addition to a positive start on fundraising, he also revealed the board is planning to include a retail space of 3,000 or more square feet in the facility.

The intent is to court a major retailer that is involved in fishing and hunting supplies, Lee said. You can pretty well guess who those retailers are. If were successful with that, we feel like the hall of fame will maximize its marketing through one of these retailers in their national advertising campaigns.

The site for the hall of fame is located along County Road 222 on land the City of Cullman owns. Included in the plan is a proposal by city officials to attach a civic center to the hall of fame for conventions and additional tourism opportunities.

In the last two weeks, a major development has stirred renewed excitement for the hall of fame project as the Alabama Department of Transportation signed off on the final papers to clear the way for actual work to begin on constructing an interchange from Interstate 65 directly into CR 222. Local officials are excited by the prospect for additional economic growth in Good Hope and Cullman along the corridor. The hall of fames directors have also reported the interchange was an important factor in their decision to choose Cullman.

We have two major announcements concerning the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, which will be made in Cullman when the board meets there in October, Lee said. One of the announcements will make people say, Ah, that makes sense. The other will cause people to say, Wow.

While declining to elaborate further on the October announcements, Lee said the development that is expected near the hall of fame is already generating interests in the retail and hotel sectors.

I know those involved in local economic development are excited about the potential, and were excited about the opportunities Cullman holds for the hall of fame, Lee said. We remain committed to this attraction being both fun and educational for visitors. We believe it will be a world-class attraction. Bass fishing is worldwide and having the hall of fame in Cullman will be a tremendous plus for everyone.

In a recent interview, Cullman Economic Development Agency director Peggy Smith said the interchange is already opening doors for Good Hope and the entire area on the development front.

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Fundraising under way for Bass Fishing Hall of Fame; retail space planned