By Scott Pearson

Staff Writer

After a couple of years of measured improvements, Henry Horton State Park could be in line for a serious transformation within the next few years.

Park Manager Ryan Jenkins has been told that the preliminary budget for the state's next fiscal year includes approximately $18 million earmarked for new construction and renovations at Horton.

The tentative plans put forward by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation include construction of a new restaurant, conversion of the existing restaurant space to conference and meeting facilities, and renovation of the inn.

The current budget year contains money for similar improvements at Fall Creek Falls and Montgomery Bell State Parks.

Jenkins knows the proposal still has to make it through the budget process in the Legislature, so he isn't putting a hard hat on yet, but he would like to see one project for sure.

Included in the funding proposed are the funds to construct a visitor center at the park.

Henry Horton is the only one of the resort parks in the state without a visitor center, Jenkins said.

The current plan is to combine a visitor center with the re-construction of the Wilhoite Mill on the river into what would be known as the Duck River Visitor and Education Center.

The idea received a big boost recently when the Board of Directors for the Duck River Agency pledged a $350,000 grant for the project.

The Duck River Agency is the authority charged with protecting and and developing the water supply for residents in the five counties through which the river runs.

The park and the Friends of Henry Horton have been working toward funding to rebuild the mill for a couple of years that once stood on the property. The structure was planned to serve as a focal point for the park as well as preserving the long history of milling everything from corn to lumber using the power of the Duck River.

Combining that idea with the needed visitor center and taking advantage of the park's central location on the Duck in order to tell the story of the entire river system only made sense, Jenkins said.

Lewisburg Mayor Jim Bingham currently serves on the DRA board and shares that opinion.

"I think that's wonderful," Bingham said. "It will provide us a place to tell what the agency does and about the Duck River as a whole."

The funds pledged from the Duck River Agency would cover all of the interpretive and educational displays inside the center, Jenkins said.

He hopes that already having some outside funding secured will increase the likelihood that the visitor center project, at least, remains in the budget.

Not that Horton is waiting on the state budget in order to get things done.

"We've taken this year to improve upon what we have," Jenkins said. "We've tried to take care of what we've already been given as stewards of the park."

Horton won an award in 2015 for being one of the two most innovative parks in the state's 56-park system.

In 2016, they continued that trend, leveraging public and private partnerships to improve services and the park experience and taking advantage of an active and effective friends group.

The park has also begun to assess the unique features upon which it can build an identity.

"The Duck River is our best resource and what we should focus on more," Jenkins added.

The United States Geological Survey identifies the Duck as one of the three richest waterways in the world for freshwater animal diversity.

The park opened the Tipped Canoe, a lounge with a bar, alongside the restaurant. The lounge has had a good first year, Jenkins said, adding an additional source of revenue for the park.

State law will eventually require all parks to pay for their own operations so adding revenue streams is a priority across the system.

The Tipped Canoe is closed while the Governor's Table restaurant kitchen is undergoing structural repairs because state law requires a certain percentage of food sales with a liquor license.

The lounge will still be open for special events, including a Super Bowl party and a Valentine's dinner, and Jenkins said the staff is still meeting catering orders.

The Friends of Henry Horton secured two sizable grants for projects in the park last year.

A $100,000 TDEC grant for a comprehensive, closed loop composting system at the park will serve as a test for adoption at other state parks. Food waste from the restaurant will be composted and used to grow more food in the park to use in the restaurant. The town of Chapel Hill will also make use of the system, keeping their yard waste out of land fill, saving the town money and extending the life of the landfill.

A $10,000 grant from General Motors was used to build a covered observation deck overlooking the restored wetland area at the park. The ribbon cutting on that project takes place on Friday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m.

The wetland restoration completed this year takes some land along the river back to its natural state, creating wildlife habitat and providing recreational opportunities with additional trail connections.

The introduction of tubing along the river this summer reinforced the intention to take better advantage of the river. Jenkins said some Saturdays would have as many as 300 people floating down the river.

The park partnered with United Communications and of Chapel Hill to bring high speed internet to the hotel and conference areas. This feature enables the park to more aggressively recruit business clients needing robust internet services for meetings and conferences at the park, Jenkins said.

The Conference Lodge at the park, looking closer to its original state after the removal of a drop ceiling, is booked every Saturday for most of the year, he said.