Decatur County pledges $300,000 to fairgrounds event center; sets $2,500 rental rate

Decatur County officials voted to pledge $300,000 over three years toward a new event center at the county fairgrounds and approved an initial rental rate of $2,500, project presenters and county members said during a project review meeting.

Project representatives said the county would set the initial rental price at $2,500 per rental to encourage bookings and build momentum. “I said $2,500 per rental,” a project presenter identified in the meeting as Rick said when explaining how comparable facilities and amenities informed the decision.

The project team said the building is part of a roughly $4 million total project; the structure itself is expected to cost about $3 million. Officials described several features intended to broaden use: integrated audio-visual systems so presentations can be shown on multiple screens, planned audio dampening to reduce echo, generator hookups so the building can be used as an emergency shelter, upgraded electrical service at the fairgrounds and additional camping hookups on the west side of the property.

Why it matters: presenters argued the facility could draw events and visitors from surrounding metro areas — the county sits between Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Columbus — bringing hotel, restaurant and fuel-tax revenue back to Decatur County and supporting local jobs. Officials said fairgrounds revenue would remain in the fair’s nonreverting account to fund maintenance and future improvements.

Funding and timeline: presenters said the Ready regional program administered through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) originally committed about $2 million to the project but was reduced by $50,000 for each project in the Ready region; the Ready portion for this project was described in the meeting as $1.95 million. The local match target discussed by presenters was $800,000 (monetary and in-kind). At the meeting presenters said about $160,000 in pledges or in-kind contributions had been recorded and that Decatur County government had already advanced funds during construction; meeting remarks stated the county had exceeded an original $1.2 million local commitment during the building phase and identified a working balance of county-supplied funds used to avoid construction delays while awaiting state releases. Presenters said they expected additional pledge payments to materialize through the campaign window (some pledges can be spread across up to five years).

Emergency and operations planning: project representatives said the building will include generator hookups to power HVAC and lighting if used for displaced residents after a disaster and that agreements were being explored with Emergency Management Agency personnel. The team also described plans for accessible parking on the west side of the new building, useable fairgrounds parking and the possibility of paving a gravel lot to add more spots if demand increases.

Vote and next steps: Commissioner Chris (identified by first name in the meeting) moved to pledge $300,000 from the county over three years ($100,000 per year); the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Meeting remarks directed officials and staff to continue the fundraising campaign, finalize audiovisual and shelter-readiness specifications, and coordinate with tourism staff on marketing to regional conferences and events.

Supporters at the meeting pointed to recent ball-diamond tournaments as an example of how upgraded facilities can attract out-of-area visitors and generate net revenue. Opponents or abstentions were not recorded in the transcript; the voice vote resulted in the chair declaring the motion carried.