Decatur County pledges $300,000 over three years for new fairgrounds event center

Jeremy Hazel, a Decatur County commissioner, told the commissioners the fairgrounds event-center project is “progress is definitely moving forward out there” and outlined plans for an adaptable, 600‑seat facility that county leaders hope will host 4‑H and FFA events, expos, business trainings and private rentals.

The commissioners voted to pledge $300,000 total, payable as $100,000 per year for three years, to the project’s private‑match campaign. The motion was seconded and the board recorded the vote as aye; the motion carried.

Why it matters: Commissioners and project leaders said the building is meant to serve multiple community uses and to attract outside visitors who would spend locally. Jeremy Hazel said the goal is to make the facility flexible enough to host large conferences or weddings, and to supply tables, chairs and audiovisual hookups so presenters can plug in and run programs across multiple screens.

Hazel described the planned kitchen as a caterer’s kitchen with warming stations, a three‑basin sink and abundant counter and outlet space. He said the project stopped short of installing a full commercial cooking ventilation system because the upgrade would have added roughly six figures in cost and significant maintenance requirements; Hazel said the project therefore prioritized a lower‑cost, lower‑maintenance option that still allows for full catering services.

Project finance and state match: Hazel said the total building cost is roughly $3 million and that the broader fairgrounds improvement program is budgeted at about $4 million. He described the Ready program administered through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) as the principal state match vehicle for the project and said the ready allocation for the region was reduced by $50,000 earlier in the year. Hazel told the group the project has secured about $160,000 in pledges and in‑kind support to date and that Decatur County has already exceeded a previously announced local commitment level during construction by advancing county funds while waiting for state disbursements.

Hazel said the county has used $300,000 of seed money from the Decatur County Community Foundation to continue construction while Ready/IEDC funds were delayed pending a state audit of IEDC. He said those county advances will be repaid as state funds are released.

Facilities, operations and emergency use: Hazel said the new building will include generator hookups sized to run HVAC and lighting so the center can operate as an emergency shelter in a catastrophic event. He said commissioners are planning for audiovisual systems, audio dampening to reduce echo, and parking that will use existing lots around the extension office and fairgrounds; Hazel noted the county plans to demolish a house at the ball diamonds to expand nearby parking.

Hazel pointed to recent success at the county’s renovated ball diamonds and said the county saw more than 50,000 visitors tied to tournaments, with a net profit of over $100,000 in the most recent season. He said many visitors came from 50 miles or more away and that the county expects hotel, gas and restaurant tax revenue from out‑of‑area visitors who attend larger events.

Rental price and revenue: Commissioners previously set a rental fee of $2,500 per event for the new building. Hazel said rental income and other fairgrounds revenue will remain in the fairgrounds’ nonreverting account to fund maintenance and further improvements.

Fundraising ask and timeline: Hazel and project representatives said the private‑match campaign launched with a July kickoff at the county fair. The county is seeking private and in‑kind contributions to reach an $800,000 private match target required by the Ready program; Hazel said the regional Ready allocation was originally intended to be $2 million and that the local match structure is intended to demonstrate local buy‑in. He told the board the Ready approval process has been slower than expected and that state payments had been delayed at various points (summer, fall, winter, then projected first quarter the following year) but said he expected final approvals in the near term.

What commissioners approved: At the meeting the board approved the $300,000 county pledge (100,000 per year for three years). The motion carried after the second was recorded.

Speakers quoted or referenced in the meeting included Jeremy Hazel, Dennis (project representative), Rick (project representative), Chris Noblett (project data), Erica Gunn (tourism official), Mike Snyder (DMA representative) and an attendee identified as Kirsten who seconded the pledge motion.

Ending: Commissioners said they will continue the fundraising drive and coordinate marketing with the county tourism office to attract expos and conferences. Project leaders expect additional fairgrounds upgrades — electrical, drainage and barn improvements — to run concurrently with the event center construction.