Okanogan County staff weigh $250,000 grant to tear down, rebuild fairgrounds commercial building

Okanogan County fairgrounds staff told the Board of Commissioners they plan to seek a state grant — described in the meeting as a $250,000 opportunity — to remove an unusable commercial building at the fairgrounds and pursue replacement and site improvements.

The request, presented during department updates, centered on two primary needs: demolition of a long‑vacant commercial structure that staff said would likely cost “over 200 and some thousand” to repair, and construction of a new, usable building or buildings on the site. Staff recommended getting soft quotes on demolition and construction to shape the grant application and inform whether the grant could cover a demolition‑plus‑site‑prep project or would require sealed bidding once costs exceeded the county’s procurement threshold.

The fairgrounds presenter said the grant requires a local match — “we have to spend 50% of it in either in kind or cash balance” — and noted the grant deadline is “I believe it’s September.” The staff member described two candidate building types: insulated concrete prefabricated buildings (one quote cited about $85,000) and steel buildings with modern insulation systems, each with tradeoffs in cost, appearance and insulation. The staff member said a $85,000 quote included finished siding and floor in one response; another quote for a prefab concrete package was reported at a similar price once prevailing wage was counted.

On site features, staff said they would add accessible bathrooms with dual access (insider/outsider) to increase rental flexibility, relocate or upgrade security cameras and lights to identify vandals, and finish fence repairs. Staff also reported recent small capital work: fans for livestock huts purchased by a livestock foundation arrived and a small fence project was near completion.

Commissioners pressed staff on procurement and scope. County staff warned repeatedly that projects over the county sealed‑bid threshold (discussed as “over $300,000”) cannot be broken into smaller contracts to avoid competitive bidding, and recommended packaging a bid spec that would allow a contractor to deliver a complete, architecturally appropriate building (insulated, with snow‑load trusses and durable siding). Staff also proposed getting multiple quotes and a bid specification that could be used if the grant allowed construction beyond demolition.

Staff emphasized water and site utilities as active constraints: irrigation piping has been failing due to improper initial installation, and quotes for prefabricated pump‑house or buildings included prevailing‑wage costs that raised total estimates. The presenter asked commissioners for direction on whether to prioritize demolition and site prep, a partial construction package, or a more ornate replacement building that matches the fairgrounds’ existing motif.

Why it matters: fairgrounds facilities host regional events that bring visitors and revenue; a condemned commercial building and recurring vandalism reduce rental capacity and increase maintenance costs. Staff framed the grant as a chance to remove an unsafe structure, improve security and add rentable, revenue‑generating space — but cautioned the grant’s limited size and procurement rules will limit what can be accomplished without additional funding.

Commissioners instructed staff to obtain soft cost estimates for demo and construction and return with a recommendation on grant application priorities and a draft bid/spec package if appropriate.

Next steps noted in the meeting: staff will obtain two or more quotes on demo and construction options, draft a bid/spec package as requested, and proceed with a grant application targeting the reported September deadline. Final scope and any additional county funding will return to the board for approval.