Grant County to build new covered arena

EPHRATA — Grant County is adding a second pavilion at the fairgrounds.

The commissioners agreed to start seeking bids for the construction of a covered arena.

It would be part of a series of improvements to the fairgrounds started in 2008 as part of a $12 million bond.

The county completed improvements to the septic, water and electrical systems, as well as constructing a 4-H building and new bathrooms.

The county recently completed moving Airway Drive so it looped around the parking lot. There is more than $1 million left of the bond.

The new covered arena will sit east of the Ardell Pavilion. Bob Russell, the Fair Facilities Advisory Committee chair, said in a previous meeting the fairgrounds needs the space.

“If you have another covered arena you can have two small shows at the same time, or you can have one big show, so you can increase your capacity,” Russell said. “Horses and RVs were the future as far as marketability and high demand.”

Early estimates put the cost of the new pavilion at about $300,000, Commissioner Richard Stevens said. He echoed Russell, saying the new pavilion will allow the fairgrounds to hold multiple events.

“We’ve had the opportunity to have two of them rented,” he said. “It folds into a marketing study we had done that shows horse shows and camping are going up.”

Stevens said he expects the new pavilion to be built by April.

The county commissioners will open the bids on Jan. 19.