On the eve of his historic trip to Cuba, former President Jimmy Carter cut the ribbon Saturday on a new antique mall and inn

PLAINS - On the eve of his historic trip to Cuba, former President Jimmy Carter cut the ribbon Saturday on a new antique mall and inn in his famous home town which still attracts more than 60,000 visitors a year. <br> <br> The 1870s building once belonged to his cousin Hugh Carter, who ran an antique store there until his death four years ago. <br> <br> The seven-month rebuilding project, funded with private contributions and $500,000 from a state fund used to boost Georgia&#39;s rural economy, is expected to lead to longer tourist visits in Plains, a farming town of 700 located about 200 miles south of Atlanta. <br> <br> The mall and inn were part of a community project to enhance and preserve Plains&#39; historic downtown. <br> <br> ``I think this project, if I&#39;ve ever seen one, shows the advantage of people who care for each other using harmony and unselfishness to make a project successful,&#39;&#39; Carter said. <br> <br> About 350 well-wishers and government officials attended the one-hour ceremony on Main Street, under the glare of a blistering sun that sent the temperature to near 90 degrees. They fanned constantly and some shook their shirts for relief. <br> <br> The guests included Gov. Roy Barnes and a group of inmates, dressed in white prison uniforms, who had done all the carpentry, bricklaying and electrical work. <br> <br> ``I know they are not supposed to attend public events, being incarcerated, but I made a special request,&#39;&#39; Carter said. ``I&#39;d like to have them, who I consider almost as my sons, to stand up.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The inmates received an enthusiastic round of applause. <br> <br> ``These guys deserve to be out in public so they can be practice their skills carpentry, brick work, electrical work, everything,&#39;&#39; Carter said. ``I&#39;m just glad they weren&#39;t released until the project was completed.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Carter and Barnes cut a yellow ribbon on the entrance to the building, officially opening it. <br> <br> ``I hope the people who stay here will take away a memory of Plains,&#39;&#39; Carter said. <br> <br> Carter then escorted reporters around the building and on a train ride to his boyhood home in nearby Archery. The state will begin running an excursion train from Cordele, located along Interstate 75, to Plains and the boyhood home, starting around Aug. 1. <br> <br> Carter declined repeated requests to discuss his departure Sunday for a five-day visit to Cuba. He received a formal invitation earlier this year from Fidel Castro and would be the first former American president to visit the island since Castro took power in 1959. <br> <br> Vicky Huddleston, the top U.S. diplomat to Cuba, said last week that Cubans she met during a weeklong tour of the country expressed hope that Carter will persuade the communist leadership to open up the closed society <br> <br> Carter worked toward normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations during his 1977-1981 term. <br> <br> Plains residents said Carter insisted the mall and inn be completed before his Cuba trip. <br> <br> Fred Boyles, superintendent of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, said he believes the inn will encourage tourists to remain longer. The inn has seven suites, representing each decade from 1920 to 1980. The furnishings in each are appropriate for the period. <br> <br> ``The visitation in Plains has been steadily increasing for the last 10 years,&#39;&#39; Boyles said. ``I think more and more people are drawn to Plains because of its small-town values, his sense of integrity and pride in his home place.&#39;&#39;