Merit Construction was recently selected to construct the new LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. The 232,600-square-foot facility will consist of special event and meeting space including a 105,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall; 22,750 square feet of Multi Purpose Areas; 36,000 square feet of Public Circulation Space; and other related support and administrative areas.    

"The LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge will significantly impact the lives of East Tennesseans through job creation, economic impact, and the betterment of Pigeon Forge and the entire Sevier County region, and we are proud to be a part of it," said Bruce Bosse, president of Merit Construction. 

Designed by SRA Architects, Inc., the single-story building will be a LEED Certified project and is budgeted at more than $40 million. It will be located at the corner of Teaster Lane and Jake Thomas Road, adjacent to the city's greenway and the Pigeon Forge Riverwalk.  

Site preparation will begin this summer and construction is scheduled to begin in December and conclude in August 2013.