New $1.6 million Buchanan County Fairgrounds arena taking shape as county eyes March completion

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The vision for Buchanan County's new $1.6 million fairgrounds arena in Easton, Missouri, is now coming to life as county residents eagerly await the future home for livestock showcases and events.

Construction crews with Al J. Mueller Construction are making sizable progress on development of a 160-by-250-foot steel arena next to the former East Buchanan Middle School building, which is undergoing heavy renovations as part of the 18-acre Buchanan County Fairgrounds project.

County residents will now see a majority of the arena's steel framework in place as officials set their sights on March 1 for completion. The new dirt-floor arena will be the same width as an NFL football field, offering space for livestock shows, rodeos, car shows, equine events and more.

“We've made a lot of progress. We've taken an old school building and we're slowly getting that converted into a useful venue as well." Fairgrounds Board member and Buchanan County Farm Bureau President Tim Gach said. "We have plans to do more painting soon, to spruce up some of the classrooms and configure them in different ways."

Gach, county officials and a number of volunteers are all assisting contractors in renovating the former school building into an upgraded venue designed for 4-H and FFA, as well as a wide-range of possible education and community-based activities, from music lessons and knitting classes to robotics.

The building has seen entire classrooms and offices remodeled with new furniture, as well as new wiring, internet services, painting and other upgrades. The school building will also include space for the University of Missouri Extension - Buchanan County.

“We do have a number of 4-H activities already planned for that facility starting in January. The local 4-H has just been really excited about the opportunity to have a place to land," Gach said. "We have had a tremendous amount of inquiry into different things."

He credited the help of fellow fairgrounds board members with developing concepts and ideas and facilitating various efforts to move the project forward. The Buchanan County Fairgrounds Board is comprised of nine members, including one representative from the Buchanan County Commission.

The Buchanan County Fairgrounds recently unveiled a new logo and social media page in November for future announcements, events and activities.

Once complete, Buchanan County could see the return of its first true county fair in decades.