Constructing a $4-million multipurpose building on the Mower County Fairgrounds is one thing.

Thursday, September 23, 1999

Constructing a $4-million multipurpose building on the Mower County Fairgrounds is one thing.

Putting it in the right place is another.

After all, once the 66,000-square foot building is constructed, it can’t be moved.

That’s what makes the work of the Mower County strategic planning infrastructure committee so important. They will decide where the multipurpose building goes and make that recommendation to the Mower County Board of Commissioners.

The committee members held a lengthy meeting today to prepare for their recommendation.

Nine site plans for the fairgrounds were reviewed by Doug Friend and Jerry Putnam, representing LHB Engineers & Architects of Minneapolis, the firm retained by the county to design the new multipurpose building.

"What they showed us ranged from a Cadillac to a Saturn," said Dick Grass of LeRoy, a member of the Mower County Fair Board. "What we have right now is a ’57 Chevy, but a pretty good ’57 Chevy at that. We have to decide if we want to keep that ’57 Chevy kind of fairgrounds or build something different."

Larry Larson, chairman of the committee appointed by the county commissioners, is worried the committee is running out of time. "Harvest is coming soon and I don’t know if we have enough time for another meeting or two before some of our members will be busy in the fields. We’ve got to make a decision for the county board soon. They are expecting our recommendation," he said.

Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, also said the county commissioners are "hoping" for a recommendation from the committee soon.

That’s because, in part, the commissioners must show a good faith effort of proceeding with the Mighty Ducks grant monies ($250,000) the county received from the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission by the end of the year. Otherwise, the county could lose the grant monies.

Friend and Putnam of LHB went through nine plans for an overhaul of the fairgrounds and relocation of the Mower County Historical Center buildings, agriculture buildings, Plager Building and other auxiliary buildings.

At press time today, the committee members were critiquing each plan and moving toward a consensus of opinion about leaving the fairgrounds "as is" or spotting the new multipurpose building in a specific location to allow future development of a site plan for the fairgrounds in southwest Austin.