Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham on Tuesday threw his enthusiastic support behind efforts to bring the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame to the county’s velodrome, known as the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

During a press conference Cunningham announced plans to lease county-owned land adjacent to the velodrome, which – added to the nearby Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park – would create a triple-draw destination for cycling fans from all over the country and the region. The County Board of Commissioners will consider Cunningham’s lease resolution at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“Lehigh County is known as a national center for bicycling,” Cunningham said. “This is the perfect place for a Bicycling Hall of Fame. The county velodrome is a long-standing, beloved destination for world-class athletes, nationwide enthusiasts, and our own local cycling fanatics.”

The Bicycling Hall of Fame would be a natural expansion at the cycling complex, which Cunningham’s administration recently supported with a $370,000 resurfacing of the velodrome track.

“The velodrome is a one-day trip from anywhere in the mid-Atlantic region,” said Cunningham. “Add a Bicycling Hall of Fame to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center and the Rodale Fitness Park, and we’d have a complex that would be an irresistible draw for fitness-minded families from throughout the region.” More tourists would translate into more dollars spent at local businesses, Cunningham added.

He also cited the rapid growth in enthusiasm for sport cycling among local fans.

“Look at the huge excitement generated by the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling that wound through Allentown earlier this month,” Cunningham said. “When you bring athletes of that caliber to the area, you galvanize even those sports fans who’ve never seen the sport before but come out to watch and get caught up in the excitement.”

Museums and arenas “promote and enhance the quality of life of a region,” Cunningham added. “When we talk to companies who are deciding where to locate their businesses — and with them, jobs for our residents — we find that major amenities like Dorney Park and Coca-Cola Stadium influence their choice. A triple-threat sport-cycling destination would be one more enticement for them to make the Lehigh Valley their choice.”

Also speaking was Dean Smith, president of The International Cycling Center (ICC), a 501.c.3 group that needs approval of the land lease before it can apply to build a Bicycling Hall of Fame at the velodrome. Smith unveiled the ICC’s architectural drawings for the planned structure at Tuesday’s news conference.

For more on the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, go to www.thevelodrome.com. For more on the International Cycling Center, go to www.internationalcyclingcenter.org. For more on the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, go to www.usbhof.org.