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Consultants present comprehensive update to Washington County Expo master plan
Summary
Consultants outlined a needs‑based master plan for the Washington County Expo and adjacent judicial center site, highlighting immediate needs (security, drainage, barn ventilation, restrooms), a proposed covered rodeo arena and phased improvements tied to a market study and revenue analysis.
Consultants for Washington County presented a progress update Sept. 23 on a master plan for the Washington County Expo and adjacent county properties, laying out immediate upgrades, potential phased facilities and next steps for design and revenue analysis.
The presentation, led by a consultant identified in the packet as Miss Perkins, described the study as needs‑based and grounded in a 2024 market study. The two main planning areas are the courthouse/judicial‑center side of Old Independence Road and the fairgrounds/expo side; the team recommended a deliberate, staged approach to capacity, parking, security and utilities rather than immediate large new builds.
Key takeaways - Immediate needs: security upgrades, traffic flow and drainage improvements, electrical and plumbing upgrades in existing barns, better barn ventilation and accessible restrooms to improve usability during the fair and other events. - Access and parking: consultants recommended moving the fairgrounds’ primary pedestrian entry to Old Independence Road where it could align with the judicial center entry and allow shared parking during large events. Engineers will further study floodplain constraints near a creek on the site. - New facilities (future/phased): a multipurpose covered rodeo arena (item 15 on the plan) with warm‑up pens (item 16) and stalling (item 17) to allow separation of equestrian and cattle events; a larger event center (item 18) was discussed as a longer‑term option but not recommended for immediate construction. Consultants emphasized designing for 3–4 primary uses rather than every possible use to reduce operational setup costs.
Consultation, funding and next steps Consultants said next steps include: posting a construction manager at‑risk (CMAR) document in next week’s packet for review, beginning architectural/engineering work for the covered arena (item 15), conducting soil testing with Gessner Engineering and continuing floodplain/drainage analysis. Garza EMC and the county’s fair association were listed as project partners.
County and fair representatives emphasized balancing improvements to support the Washington County Fair (described in the presentation as one of the state’s older fairs and a case study for maximum site use) with year‑round revenue opportunities such as expanded sales facilities and activation for outside events. The consultants said renovating and expanding the existing sale facility (item 4) could be a cost‑effective first step before building a new event center.
No formal action was requested; the presentation closed with staff committing to bring CMAR documents and further design information back to the court.
