The city and developers will break ground on the roughly $12 million projects on May 1, 2022. This project is not only expected to provide locals with something to do, it’s expected to boost tourism in the area. In a land where hotels are hard to come by, it would allow visitors to have a place to stay. Miller said the new project breaking ground next to Tom Fuller Memorial Park next month will capitalize on that.

Fishing competitions are a big industry in Rockwood. “We’ve had teams from all over the country come to play but we have nowhere for them to stay. There’s no hotels or motels,” Miller said. “We’re a small community and you know, not everybody can afford to buy a house on the lake. We have to be able to provide them opportunities that are not costly.” The new development is expected to include 204 covered boat slips, a boat ramp, fuel platform, swim beach, fishing piers, parking, water intakes, riprap, and campsites. “We’re hoping that anybody that comes here to stay will go to the Walmart or the Captain D’s or McDonald’s or Murphey’s to get gas. That’s how we live or die, off our sales tax,” Miller said.

Miller said a great thing about Rockwood is that it has one of the lowest tax rates in the state of Tennessee. “And if we want to keep it that way, we have to keep getting things like this into our community that will help up with that,” Miller said. This weekend about 300 anglers will hit the water for a fishing tournament. People competing said this new project will be beneficial by giving them a place to stay and camp.