With a press conference held Tuesday, the groundwork was laid to bring to fruition a long-awaited visitor’s center in Porterville.

The new facility will be called Southern Sequoia Visitor Center.

Porterville Chamber of Commerce CEO Donnette Silva Carter made the announcement to a small group gathered on the southeast end of Lowe’s parking near the spot where the center will be constructed.

“It’s been a long-time vision of the chamber to have a visitor’s center outside of the chamber office,” Silva Carter said. “The Porterville Chamber of Commerce announces the forming of a collaborative effort to construct the Southern Sequoia Visitor Center at the Riverwalk Market Place in Porterville. The center will operate through a partnership of the chamber, U.S. Forest Service local Sequoia National Forest office, Tule River Tribal Council and the city of Porterville.”

The historic move of the collaborative is made possible by the generosity of Ennis Commercial Properties and Ennis family.

Spokeswoman for the family, Pam Ennis, said she is excited about the project and would like to “start tomorrow.”

“The Riverwalk Market Place is vision my father had for many years,” Ennis said. “It’s a pleasure to be in partnership with the collaborative to make [the visitor center] happen.”

The Ennis family will help make the facility a reality by donating construction of the building shell. The tribal council, U. S. Forest Service, the city of Porterville and others will contribute to the completion of the interior.

According to Pam Ennis, the building will be 400 hundred square feet — “about the size of an empty garage” — and the family is delighted to build. They don’t yet know what the cost will be as the plans have not been drawn yet.

“Our family has been in Porterville for 39 plus years and Porterville has been very good to us,” Ennis said. “I’ve raised three children here and it’s a great place to live. Every opportunity we have to give back to the city we like to do that. This is a great opportunity to give back, and Highway 190 and [Highway] 65 is the perfect location to build a visitor’s center. This will put Porterville on the map.”

Ground-breaking for the facility is scheduled for the fall of 2008, with expectations that construction will be completed in time for the summer of 2009 tourist season.

The center will be a source of event information, amenities and recreation opportunities in southeastern Tulare County. Visitors will also find historic and cultural information, business, residential and visitor attraction resource information, Silva Carter said.

For sale will be recreation guides, interpretive materials, maps, video displays and souvenirs.

Despite the economy, tourism continues to grow in the Valley, especially to the Sequoia National Forest and Monument. Forest Supervisor Tina Terrell verified that approximately 13 million people a year visit the Sequoia National Forest and Monument. Those visitors use Highways 190 and 65, direct pathways to Porterville, year-round.

Tourists often come into Porterville’s downtown area or buy gas here on the way to their destinations. From $85 to $150 is left in Porterville by each tourist, Silva Carter said.

One reason Terrell said she and her colleagues are glad to be part of the collaborative to bring the visitor center to Porterville is because it’s in line with their commitment to serve the people.

“Many things we do in live is based on one person’s vision,” Terrell said. “It’s an honor for representatives of the forest service to be part of this collaboration to participate in what we do best, which is serve people.”

Mayor Cameron Hamilton reminded the group that years ago the federal government made promise regarding this project that it did not keep.

“Funding for this project was promised by the federal government, by Dianne Feinstein, years ago and it didn’t happen,” Hamilton said. “We are very appreciative of the Ennis family and all the partners of the collaboration. It shows that anytime we want to do something in the city of Porterville we will find a way.”

-- Contact Anita Stackhouse-Hite at 784-5000, Ext. 1043, or astackhouse-hite@portervillerecorder.com.