Buchanan County picks contractor to build $1.6 million fairgrounds arena
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Construction of an all-new $1.6 million Buchanan County Fairgrounds Arena took a huge step toward reality as county officials confirmed a contractor to develop the future home for livestock showcases and events.
Buchanan County Commissioners announced the selection of St. Joseph-based Al J. Mueller Construction Company for a design-build contract to develop a 160-by-250-feet arena in Easton, Missouri. The venue will be capable of hosting a wide range of 4-H and FFA events, as well as larger events like rodeos and car shows, among other year-round possibilities.
“We've had a lot of information that said all we need is a venue. We don't have one, so we're making one,” Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner and Fairgrounds Board member Scott Nelson said. "It's the old adage 'Build it and they will come,' ... We think there's a lot of potential."
By comparison, the new arena will be the same width as an NFL football field and nearly 3/4 the length.
As the county inches closer to breaking ground on the project, longtime farmer and Buchanan County Farm Bureau president Tim Gach called it a long-awaited and much-needed development for county residents and future generations of agriculture and livestock enthusiasts after decades without a true fair.
"We've been working on this now for about three years. The county's been needing this for a lot of years," said Gach, a fellow Fairgrounds Board member. "Front and center of the whole project is a facility for 4-H and FFA to be able to have livestock shows."
Pending sale of the necessary land, the arena will be located east of the former East Buchanan Middle School building, a key component of the fairgrounds project. A new East Buchanan Middle School in Gower is well underway and scheduled to open for the start of the 2025-26 school year.
"We've made some significant progress on purchasing the land to the east ... once that is closed, then we can start the dirt work," Nelson said. "Our next step is to fine-tune all the little ancillary things with the contractor."
The arena is one key piece of the overall plan. The middle school building and surrounding 9.2 acres of land were recently acquired by the Buchanan County Fairgrounds Board and will act as a nearby hub for a host of community and fairgrounds-related activities.
“Optimistically, we're hoping to have this new building up and going next summer,” Gach said. “I think it's going to be a great day for Buchanan County. I think it'll be a great day for our 4-H and FFA kids to have an arena to showcase their livestock."
Nelson said one of the deciding factors for selecting Al J. Mueller is its plan to use St. Joseph company Varco Pruden to manufacture steel locally.
"So 60% to 70% of the cost of the $1.6 million is the materials. So now we have all those dollars staying in St. Joseph. And I think that that is a big deal," Nelson said.
Gach said they've heard consistently from the equine community about having a nearby venue to hold horse-related events and showcases, a growing market they're eager to provide space for. The arena is also being designed to allow for rodeo-type events.
"If you have that length, you can have any rodeo event in there. You can have barrel racing," Nelson said.
County leaders stressed the importance of developing a versatile and sustainable facility that accommodates a variety of livestock events and shows for year-round use, providing a strong pair with classrooms, a gym and many other facilities within the middle school building.
"There's nice-sized rooms that people could be able to rent and use for a variety of things, whether it's community theater, whether it's practicing your band, whether it's a 4-H project that you need a dedicated space for all of those things," Gach said. “We're hoping for a lot of activity to happen."
With the fairgrounds board owning the school building, Nelson said the county will be renters for the most part, with a fee schedule to be worked out later.
Organizations like 4-H and FFA will largely be the ones in charge of putting on future events at the arena, though the county will assist as needed and make space available at the middle school building.
“We're going to have to develop a team to work with 4-H and FFA at the facility at the school building so that they can have a presence there," Nelson said.
A 4-H member in his youth, Gach praised the work and life skills taught by the organization, as well as FFA. He expects an abundance of opportunities to be available for county residents to help support the organization's volunteer efforts when the state-of-the-art arena comes to fruition.
"4-H is only as successful as the people who volunteer. If you're someone who knows how to weld and you want to teach a few youngsters how to weld, you can do that," Gach said. "I'm hoping that the people of Buchanan County will step up."
