At the Harney County Fair Board meeting on Jan. 14, Rick Kozuback from International Coliseums Company and Jon Hack from Sierra Management and Planning presented the results of a market and feasibility study for updating or replacing the facilities at the fairgrounds.

The study was mostly funded through a grant provided by Travel Oregon. Kozuback and Hack started the process in October 2019 by collecting operational information from Fair Manager Jordon Bennett, conducting an onsite visit, looking at the current facilities, and holding meetings with stakeholders. The current operations, facility assessments, and comparisons to other regional facilities were presented.

Hack and Kozuback then took a deeper dive into the market opportunity by examining the expected population growth of the region, what venues are currently available in Harney County, and reviewed a list of desired attractions and programs the local stakeholders desired. At the end of the presentation, Kozuback and Hack recommended moving forward with an indoor arena that can be used for multiple purposes, as well as minor safety and cosmetic updates to the grandstands. In their initial facility layout plan, the indoor arena would be in the area of the current livestock barns. The exhibit building would be saved and re-purposed as the main entryway in to the arena.

For more information regarding the study or the presentation plans, you may reach out to the fair office.