Making needed upgrades to the nearly 45-year-old exhibit hall is a priority for Sweetwater County.
A press release from the Sweetwater County Events Complex states, the events complex board and its employees are focused on renovating, updating and expanding the exhibit hall, which was built in 1976-77.
Lena Warren, Sweetwater County Events Complex Marketing and Event Coordinator, said for fiscal year 2019 the events complex received about $800,000 for capital improvements. This money will go to pay for a new roof on the exhibit hall, converting the former rabbit and poultry barn into a new shop and renovating the old shop and the chair and table room into breakout and seminar rooms. The seminar rooms will have cabinets, kitchenettes and TV screens.
Warren said the shop is already done. Not only was the inside of the building renovated, but the building’s facade was also changed. As for the completion of the roof and the seminar rooms, those should be done by June 1.
Warren said the old roof would leak in certain areas whenever the building received rain or snow. A major overhaul of the roof is to prevent any additional water damage and must be done before interior improvements could be scheduled.
Future projects
The board would also like to make even more improvements to the facility in the future. What those improvements will be based on what kind of funding for capital improvements the complex can obtain for the fiscal year 2020.
Warren said the board has a list of projects identified for completion. Some of the items on the list for the exhibit hall are improving flooring, updating wall coverings, enhancing the sound system and acoustics and adding sliding room dividers. They also want to update audio and visual capabilities in the exhibit hall and all additional meeting room spaces.
She said one of the complex’s biggest complaints is not having enough space for larger events and acoustics. They are hoping these investments will address some of those issues.
The board is also looking at expanding the front of the exhibit hall by 2,500 square feet and the east end of the exhibit hall by 8,750 square feet. Warren said the front of the building would essentially be expanded until it meets the parking lot. This would allow for two entrances into the exhibit hall and a bigger lobby area for an indoor ticket and coat check ares.
“Opening up that area will allow guests to safely enter our building without having to stand in our Wyoming weather while attending events,” Executive Director Larry Lloyd said in the press release. “For example, Cowboys Against Cancer brings in almost a thousand guests dressed up for a great cause and often they are having to stand outside in November as they are waiting to get into the event.”
The reason for the east end expansion is to provide a bigger space for bigger events to take place or more simultaneous events taking place, Warren said. Sliding rooms dividers will also be added to help separate the larger areas into smaller ones. Warren said prior to coming up with ideas on how to expand they looked at a facility almost exactly like the exhibit hall in Tusca, Ariz. They saw what was done to that facility to improve it and brought those ideas back.
Structurally the building is sound, so adding to it and making improvements is something they want to pursue.
“When they built this facility it was done well,” she said.
They are only trying to meet the needs. When the exhibit hall was first built all it was used for was the fair. Now, about 850 events, of various sizes, are hosted in it every year.
The exhibit hall and old rabbit barn improvements aren’t the only ones on the list. Warren said the small hall will have an HVAC put into it and eventually they would like to install two garage doors that can open up onto a patio. This facility could be used to host smaller events, such as baby showers or weddings.
Warren said all of the items on the future plan, are just that. They are something that will be done in the future when funding is available.
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