Some outreach of community-based faculty/student research:
[Watauga County] Commissioners heard from High Country Recreation representative Dr. Scott St. Clair and ASU economics professor John Whitehead about the economic benefits of a recreation center. The presentation indicated that a recreation center could generate a $36 million dollar impact on the local economy and there is a 90% chance that the benefits of such a facility would outweigh the costs.
Here is a summary of the report prepared by members of the App State Student Chapter of the National Association for Business Economics: https://business.appstate.edu/news/proposed-recreation-center-infuse-money-economy-create-other-benefits-high-country.