Abstract:
Since 2003, Alleghany County has experienced an economic downturn, and over 2,000 jobs have been lost in the rural area. To spur the economy, county officials are planning to build a $10 million teapot museum in Sparta. Projections from a national firm hired to evaluate the museum's prospects are that the museum would attract 61,000 people annually, add $7.5 million in tourist revenue, and increase local sales and occupancy taxes by $250,000. The schedule for the opening of 300,000-square-foot-building is 2008.