Approved by commissioners and the Clark County Agricultural Society last month, renovations to the fairgrounds will include upgraded gates with fencing and landscaping at the entrance and adjacent area north of Interstate 70 and Ohio 41, a pedestrian drop-off location, a new fair office and space for the development of a hotel, restaurant and retail use.
The upgrade will also include a retention pond designed to improve drainage and fix flooding issues. Upgrades will take place over the next three years.
The county previously said the site of the former Army National Guard armory provides an opportunity for development and additional frontage along Ohio 41 for hotel and retail. The planned development site would extend farther north across the frontage of the fairgrounds.
The county purchased the armory site through the Clark County Land Reutilization Corporation, also known as the Land Bank, in 2019 for $125,000 with a loan from the county commission with plans to demolish it and redevelop it.
The acres will now be controlled by the Land Bank until there is a third party purchaser interested in utilizing the land for a hotel, restaurant or office space, Executive Director of the Land Bank Ethan Harris said previously.
“It’s important for the county and the Land Bank to remain the owners of the land until there is that final third party purchaser,” Harris said.
About the Author