The four Quonset huts on the Lyon County Fairgrounds could soon come down.
The Lyon County Fair Board voted unanimously at their last meeting to give the Lyon County Commission permission to go ahead and take the Quonset huts down. A plan to take the huts down was discussed during Wednesday’s Lyon County Commission study session. The vote to take down the Quonset huts follows an announcement by Emporia native and NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer, who unveiled the plans for the new 6,000-square-foot building in late August during the fund’s third annual charity event. The 79 Fund, through the Emporia Community Foundation, will donate $1 million to build the multipurpose building at the fairgrounds. The use of the building will accommodate activities such as weddings, concerts and catered events, along with a large variety of community events.
At the last Lyon County Fair Board meeting, the board voted unanimously to take down the Quonset huts. The only stipulation would be that the electrical wiring and conduits from the buildings be given back to the fairgrounds.
During Wednesday’s Lyon County Commission meeting, Jeff Hogan, of Hogan Escavating, presented commissioners with a proposal to take down the huts. Hogan said his plan would be to own one of the huts himself, disassembling and reassembling the building. He said it would take about four or five days to remove one building so it can be disassembled and re-erected. The biggest obstacle, Hogan said, would be concrete removal.
“I do have a large escavator where I can take it out,” he said. “I wanted to propose to use the county trucks. If the county could provide that I could load the trucks.”
Before the buildings can be taken down, the project would have to let to the public. No date has been set to tear the huts down.
For more on today's Lyon County Commission meeting see Thursday's Gazette.
Chevy_Guy (anonymous) says...
How many square feet are in those quonset huts? There's four of them and I'm guessing they're about 100 feet long and 40 feet wide, so there's roughly 4,000 square feet in each one. So why would you tear down 16,000 square feet of space to build a 6,000 square feet building? What is the maximum occupancy of a 6,000 square foot building? Somewhere around 170 people? Where are all of the fair exhibits that are usually in the quonset huts going to be? You definitley wont be able to cram them all in a 6,000 square foot building.
I wonder why nobody considered building it on the northwest corner of the fairgrounds? It wouldn't take away any space from parking and would make that corner look better. There's also plenty of room in the southwest corner or directly south of the quonset huts.
September 22, 2010 at 12:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I agree Chevy_ Guy. To me the northwest corner of the fairgrounds would a far more preferable location. I am having a little problem understanding the great rush to get rid of those huts. That is unless the Bowyer Fund gift specified that location.
September 22, 2010 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
For those with long memories, yes I did call them an eyesore when the subject of tearing them down first arose.. I still think they are an eyesore, but I'm also a little curious as the rush to get rid of them.
Besides that....I always reserve the right to change my mind when new data is made available.
September 22, 2010 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jackslap (anonymous) says...
So this Hogan cat gets one for the price of taking them all out? It that is the deal why not sale the buildings, or have the county scrap the buildings, and remove the concrete. This process needs to be thought out a little better. How about some bids... Save the Fair Grounds
September 22, 2010 at 1:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
"...Before the buildings can be taken down, the project would have to let to the public...."
That means it will be bid out,I'd say.As strong as these things are assembled,it might the best way to take them down in pieces.Never seen the process of demolishing one,but I do have to wonder if it's worth more as an unassembled building rather than just scrap.But then,you do have to pay twice the cost of labor and equipment to build it.Whoever bids will get their pencils sharp and figure out the best way to deal with them.
September 22, 2010 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Timeline for fairgrounds renovation;
2010
Bids let for demo of huts, huts taken down.
Ground breaking for Bowyer building.
2011
Bowyer building completed.
Exhibits at fair held under rented tents.
Donations are solicited for new exhibit buildings, donations are a bust.
County commission funds new exhibit buildings and grandstands at the cost of $12, 000,000.00.
2012 new improved county fair opens in all new buildings.
2014 County commission approves 1 million to repair faulty construction of buildings.
September 22, 2010 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Don't get me wrong, i am all for fixing up the fairgrounds.
And thanks to the generous donation from Clint Bowyer it is now starting.
September 22, 2010 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kuSportsPA (anonymous) says...
BTW: Clint Bowyer just got in trouble and docked 150 pts.so he's now 12th, he was just referred to as cheating. Crew chief suspended for 6 races!
September 22, 2010 at 4:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Rare has been the city or county building project for years now that has not seen major repair and renovation within the first few years...or has been declared to expensive to repair and has been recommended for demolition about half way through its expected life span.
September 22, 2010 at 4:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oops (anonymous) says...
BB,
Thats what happens when you take the low bid everytime. You get what you pay for usually.
September 22, 2010 at 8:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pizza (anonymous) says...
I think some folks are getting in a rush to tear down the quonsets. No, they aren't pretty but they do provide space for fair exhibits. Certainly the proposed new building cannot house the exhibits that are now in the quonsets. I would think that there needs to be some thought given to how the fair will operate without the quonsets. Just in the last couple of weeks nearly everyone was whining and complaining about county taxes but now they can't wait to spend more money to tear down the buildings. There seems to be a lot of talking being done without much thinking. If this is truly what the fair board wants then I would support them, however, I hope they aren't tearing down the buildings just because of a vocal minority that has nothing to do with the fair operations.
September 22, 2010 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dml (anonymous) says...
I think this is the same Hogan that my tenant had come over and work on some terraces in my field. He made a bigger mess than he fixed and he refused to come back and fix it. He went out and dug a hole in the hay field at the end of a couple terraces and left boulders of sod you cannot even drive over with a tractor and the terraces still do not drain. Now I have spots we have to mow around because there is a water hole instead of grass. The Commissioners and Fair Board better make sure they have a written contract with this crook and make sure all the t's are crossed and the i's dotted if they hire him. I sure will not have him back on the place!
September 22, 2010 at 11:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Someone is really dropping the ball here.
You have a local "kid" donating a million dollars to spruce up the "front porch" of Emporia.
Part of that sprucing up involves getting rid of those huts, and as a result new exhibit space will need to be built.
Are there no other locals who have been successful in their business and life who won't step forward with much needed donations to help?
I can think of 1local business that has over the years made millions of dollars serving and selling to the very people who use the fairgrounds. maybe they have donated, but done it anonymously, I don't know for sure.
Is there an overall plan for the re-do of the fairgrounds? Blueprints or drawings of the vision? GAZETTE? I remember earlier talk of it but can't remember the details.
Maybe instead of a visitors center and landscaped gardens at the entrances to Emporia, we should all work on a tangible change that would help.
Instead of a $10,000.00 ad in a magazine, that money would have built 100 square feet of exhibit space. Not much I know but it would have been a start.
Could a portion of Emporia's hotel tax be used to help fund the re-building of the fairgrounds to be used for conventions and such?
Even in these hard times, there are some who can afford to help out, and with this gift from Clint, now would be the time to "draft" off of his lead.
September 23, 2010 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jackslap (anonymous) says...
Maybe we should have sold the fair grounds to Home Depot and or Lowe's several years ago when they wanted it, you know before the market went to Sh**. Another example of our local government with there head up there ##tt. At least Clint might get somewhere.
September 23, 2010 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
How many communities within thirty miles would love to have one or more of those Quonset huts and be willing to disassemble and move them from the Fairgrounds without begging Lyon county to help them with trucks and drivers to dispose of the concrete slabs? Forget Hogan construction's proposal. Contact your neighboring towns and organizations to see if they might want them.
September 23, 2010 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
3rdperson (anonymous) says...
I love it when people make comments on something they know nothing about.
Complain, whine, **tch, and cry some more.
The Fairboard (20+ county residents) voted unanimously to tear them down.
September 23, 2010 at 12:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
REWBA,
The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
September 23, 2010 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
10049 (anonymous) says...
The information in the blog above is faulty. They only use three of the four quonset huts for advirtisement exibits at the fair and as of last year they only used two of them. The quonset huts have never been used for 4-H exibits. With following the agreement made with the anderson family when the grounds we now know as the fairgrounds were donated to the county. If the fairgrounds was to ever be sold they have to go to the Salvation Army.
September 23, 2010 at 7:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
"The quonset huts have never been used for 4-H exibits"
A couple of years ago I saw some rabbits and chickens on exhibit in one of those quonset huts. Maybe those rabbits and chickens were there on their own, displaying themselves out of sheer need, the little narcissists. You'd expect that out of some roosters, but rabbits? Really?
September 28, 2010 at 7:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Now that E.T. Anderson has requested the quonset huts remain at the fairgrounds, maybe it is time to step back and breath.
The first reaction of county officials was how to fund improvements to the fairgrounds, (as it should be).
However the 1st thing out of their mouths was 1/2 cent sales tax to pay for it after the courthouse is paid off.
If you can't find volunteers to fund this it should not be done, period.
If you can't figure out a way to do a 2 or 3 year campaign for private funding it should not be done, period.
The fairgrounds and huts were originally DONATED by the Anderson family.
DONATED
DONATIONS
GIVING
PLEDGES
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
GIVING BACK
NOT TAXES!
October 1, 2010 at 7:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
The 4-H Creed
I Pledge...
My Head to clearer thinking,
My Heart to greater loyalty,
My Hands to larger service, and,
My Health for better living,
for My Club, my Community, my Country, and my World.
The National 4-H Creed for Members:
I believe in 4-H Club work for the opportunity it will give me to become a useful citizen.
I believe in the training of my HEAD for the power it will give me to think, to plan and to reason.
I believe in the training of my HEART for the nobleness it will give me to become kind, sympathetic and true.
I believe in the training of my HANDS for the ability it will give me to be helpful, useful and skillful.
I believe in the training of my HEALTH for the strength it will give me to enjoy life, to resist disease, and to work efficiently.
I believe in my country, my State, and my community, and in my responsibility for their development.
THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS IT ALL !
October 1, 2010 at 7:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
You got it, Steve: "responsibility for their development"
Let's "develop" our community by getting rid of the blight the Anderson family has bestowed on our town! Out with the nasty old and in with the shiny new. That’s development, folks!
If your Granny gives you an ugly sweater as a gift, you don’t have to wear it the rest of your life! Buy a new one or wear the better one you received as a gift later. Granny will understand.
‘enry
October 1, 2010 at 9:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
b3bill (anonymous) says...
Absolutely NO taxes for all the Fair Grounds improvements. If anyone believes the place needs financial support, they can send their own monetary donations directly to the Fair Board.
It won't hurt all those interested in wanting changes at the Fair Grounds to set up and get behind fund raising activities to pay for everything. Leave the taxpayers out of this!
October 1, 2010 at 5:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )