Toccoa Awarded Development Grant to Promote Tourism

The City of Toccoa has been awarded a grant to help promote tourism.

On Monday, the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Tourism division announced it has awarded more than $43,175 in product development grants to 11 new and expanding tourism projects across the state.

City Manager Billy Morse said the grant comes after a visit to Toccoa by the Tourism Product Development Resource Team.

“Several months ago, the City had a team of tourism experts who came to our community to look at all aspects of the community, including economic development, tourism and all the different things that could possibly bring more tourism and tourism dollars to our community,” Morse explained.

Morse said they came up with a list of projects that would help draw tourists to the area.

He says the City opted for a project designed to attract more people to the historic train depot.

“One of those items was what is called a Train Viewing Platform. It’s basically a shelter that would be built near the railroad tracks at Toccoa Train Depot that can be used as a place to sit and watch the trains,” Morse said. “There are a lot of people who have an interest in trains and this would serve that purpose. Plus, it would serve as an alternate waiting area for people waiting for the Amtrak train, which comes through our City twice a day.”

Morse said the platform design will be similar to a picnic shelter.

“The construction of a railway viewing platform at the downtown depot was recommended by the Georgia Department of Economic Development as a potential tourism resource to increase economic vitality in the region,” said Toccoa Mayor David Austin. “We see its construction serving as a necessary addition to develop the infrastructure of our historic depot and in Downtown Toccoa.”

The City of Clarkesville in Habersham County wil use their share of the grant for Phase 2 of their Old Clarkesville Cemetery Master Planning Project.