WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — During Monday night's Warner Robins city council meeting, the topic of the I-75 Visitor Information Center is back up for discussion.
Cars are constantly whizzing up and down I-75 past Warner Robins, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, Marsha Buzzell, the director of the Warner Robins Convention and Visitors Bureau, says they want to make them stop and see what Warner Robins has to offer.
Back in 2012, the project was approved in the SPLOST vote, but Buzzell says eight years later, it's time to get moving.
"I think most immediately because of the health situation, the Visitor Information Center really is pivotal in changing the economy," Buzzell said.
In 2009, Buzzell says the Georgia General Assembly approved their request to raise the hotel/motel tax from 6 cents up to 8 cents to help fund the project.
"It takes time. Patience is -- patience and resilience is what this is all about. It does take time to get everything satisfied and all the things that need to be in place," Buzzell said.
She says the city never forgot about the project, but now there is some new leadership, so she wants to get them excited about the project as well.
She says the Visitor Information Center will function differently from the EL Greenway Welcome Center by Robins Air Force Base.
They will have maps, information about attractions like Rigby's and the Museum of Aviation and primarily, they will book hotels.
"The hotels are really direly in need of business I mean all hotels, everywhere throughout the United States," she said.
Buzzell says as we recover from the pandemic, interstate travel will recover faster than air travel, which is why she hopes to get the building up and running by the end of the year.
"Whatever we can do to help bring the economy back and we definitely feel that this is a first step in helping our local businesses," she said.
The council meeting begins at 5:30 Monday night and is not open to the public.
You can watch at home on COX channel 14 as well as on the City of Warner Robins Facebook page.