Unicoi Lodge & Conference Center to close for renovation

HELEN - The lodge and conference center at Unicoi State Park in White County is starting to show its age, so the facility is getting a new look starting at the first of the year.

While the renovations on the facility won't start until the first of next year, state parks officials want to announce the closure of the facility now, so that businesses can plan for upcoming conferences.

Kim Hatcher, spokeswoman for Georgia State Parks, said the lodge and conference center will close the first of December and renovations will begin in January 2013. A grand re-opening is tentatively planned for the fall of 2013.

"We're really stressing that the park, the cottages, the campground, the picnic shelters and everything else that people enjoy is going to remain open during the entire process," said Hatcher.

Hatcher said while Unicoi is still holding its own financially, work needs to be done now to make sure that the aging facility remains a major attraction for White County.

"The park has been showing its age a little bit and revenue has been declining, so we're really investing in the future of the park to keep it profitable," said Hatcher.

Hatcher said the basic layout of the lodge and conference center will not change, but there will be a number of improvements to the facility.

Improvements listed below have been provided by the Department of Natural Resources: