Belle Island Village made local headlines in 2003.

A 65 million dollar project, featuring 75 shops, a dozen restaurants, plenty of attractions, and a thousand new jobs.

But 6 years later, the project's still not done.

Much the same as another project the same man worked to develop but didn't finish in another state.

Before there was ever a dream of Belle Island, Glen Bilbo planned Frontier Town USA in Branson, Missouri.

But after beginning construction in the mid-90s, that project was abandoned.

Glen Bilbo had big dreams in Branson, Missouri.

A 65 million dollar dollar project called Frontier Town USA.

But it too was six years in the making and a groundbreaking but never made it off the ground.

Former Stone county Missouri commissioner Tony DeLong says it hurt several local contractors after a work stoppage.

"Who were trying to do the engineering for the firm were hurt in regards to non payment," says Tony DeLong, former Stone County Missouri Commissioner.

DeLong says they had to sue after the development changed the scenery of a lot of beautiful acreage along the highway.

"This was several hundred acres of land that had been bulldozed off, stripped off, and set aside," says DeLong.

A project started but not finished in Branson, Missouri, much the same in Pigeon Forge at Belle Island with a work stoppage and mechanics liens holding up the project.

"Do you think the city should have known? Well, I think it would be important to know that," says current Pigeon Forge Mayor Keith Whaley.

Belle Island's Glen Bilbo says the city was aware of the Branson project but doesn't recall who in Pigeon Forge was told.

Meanwhile, the city has a vested interest in Belle Island waiting on tax revenue from the project to pay for $24 million in bonds used to buy and built an adjacent parking lot.

"It's frustrating for us as a city. It's frustrating for the developers. It's frustrating for a lot of vendors who were hoping to move into the project," says Mayor Whaley.

Bilbo says he was just hired as a contractor for a third party and lost money in the Branson project.

It should be noted that no one here in east Tennessee has alleged any wrongdoing in connection with the Belle Island development.

DeLong, meanwhile, says the land at Branson ten years later has still not recovered from where it was stripped.

Should Pigeon Forge's city leaders been informed of the Missouri development's failure? Feel free to leave your comments.