Savannah River Productions Leases Old Rock Gym in Elbert County

A lease agreement and rental guidelines for the Old Rock Gym facility, located next to the Granite Bowl, have been agreed upon by the Elbert County Board of Commissioners.

The recently renovated Rock Gym is being leased to Savannah River Productions at a rate of five hundred dollars a month.

Elbert County Attorney Bill Daughtry said the agreement is a mutually beneficial one.

“During that time they will rehearse up to three times a week and they will put on six shows a year, plus one gospel event per year”, said Daughtry. “This is a really good opportunity because we will have something going on in there, and it should bring more visitors to Elbert County to spend money here.”

In the lease agreement, it allows the county to rent the building on weekdays and weekends whenever Savannah River Productions are not using the facility.

According to Elbert County Administrator Bob Thomas, the county should hear back in November from the Appalachian Regional Commission whether or not the county will receive a $140,000 grant to help continue adding to the building.

Thomas feels that if the county can land that grant, then they should see a solid payback from the building.

“We’re beginning to generate some interest in that building and some use for it, so we feel like with these grants and the money we will spend over there, that we will see a payback”, said Thomas.

Concerns were also addressed about the possibility of the Savannah River Productions group conflicting with events taking place at the Elbert Theatre, and Thomas said that will not be an issue.

“We have not and will not schedule any events that coincide with what the Elbert Theatre has scheduled”, he said. “We feel that one will compliment the other quite well.”

The rental terms for other events that would potentially be held at the Rock Gym were set for a cost of $125/hour with any event taking place on the weekend requiring a minimum of four hours charged.

Those terms were approved with a unanimous vote during Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Elbert County Commission.