During a formal introduction Wednesday of the logo for the new Route 66 Visitors Center in Bloomington, Illinois — which we already reported months ago — local officials revealed some eyebrow-raising statistics about the economic value of the Mother Road.
Bloomington, which long seemed indifferent to Route 66 for years, suddenly has embraced it. And this excerpt in the Bloomington Pantagraph’s report partly explains why (boldface is my emphasis):
By the third year of operation, Koos said the tourism center is expected to bring $6 million in new revenue to the county and could create an estimated 100 jobs by bringing 20,000 people into the center of the city.
“I think this center is a huge catalyst for economic development,” said Bloomington Alderman Karen Schmidt, who was acting as mayor pro tem in Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner’s absence.
Jen Hoselze, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, said travelers spent $352.8 million in McLean County last year.
As I predicted, the Route 66 Economic Impact Study from 2012 — including the revelation the road generated $127 million in tourism spending annually — was going to change the way many cities viewed the route. Money talks — in a big way.
As for the seemingly incongruous logo of Abraham Lincoln cruising 66 in a car, you had this take from a local official:
“He loved humor, enjoyment and a good time,” Koos said. “He’d be happy to be remembered in such ways.”
The state Office of Tourism already created a “mini Abe” for commercials promoting Illinois and recently started working on “big Abe” commercials with hopes of capturing attention in Asian countries where such characters are often idolized.
The Illinois Office of Tourism awarded a $249,000 grant for the project. Bloomington hopes to have the visitors center open by spring.
I know Lincoln is very big in Illinois. I also know that (arguably) the second most famous highway in the US is the Lincoln Highway.
Personally, I think they should leave Lincoln to the Lincoln.
Lincoln is not a character in some comedy. Some respect here please.
I believe that restoring Route 66 in all the states would be advantageous, I belong to a group of Vintage Trailer Rally enthusiasts that are always talking about Route 66. In fact, we are planning a trip next year to follow the Route and see the sites. I know it will increase revenue…..build it and they will come. I say restore it and they will come. I love the Route 66 decal with Lincoln. It brings back the past, I do not believe it is desrespectful. I believe Lincoln would love it. Best of luck to the restoration project for the years to come.
Also, are there decals with Lincoln and Route 66 ???? for Sale?
That will bring in more $$$$$$. Thanks.
Believe it or not, Honest Abe is a big attraction for tourists in Illinois, especially those from Japan. A few years ago we hosted a Japanese exchange student. She’d done her homework and knew about attractions in St. Louis, Chicago, and Memphis, all a few hours from us. The single most important thing she wanted to do, however, was spend time in Springfield IL to see all the Lincoln sites. The Bloomington paper was right: Lincoln is almost idolized in Japan. She told us that every student learns about him in school. Lincoln and Route 66 go hand-in-hand in Illinois: Lincoln (the town), Bloomington, Springfield and more.