Crawfordsville

Montgomery County 4H Exposition Complex

...where the urban and rural needs of our community are united

OUR GOAL - is to enhance the quality of life for Montgomery County residents by building a dynamic Exposition complex that not only expands our 4-H organization beyond our historic commitment to youth development but estblishes us as an economic development partner within the entire community. On land purchased in 2004 with funds donated by friends of the 4-H program, we hope to foster both the private and professional growth or the community while providing state-of-the-art facilities for conferences, exhibitons, competitions, club meetings, trade shows, classroom opportunities, family gatherings, and othe related events, all in additon to our annual Montgomery Conty 4-H Fair.

4-H Incorporated has served the youth of Montgomery County for generations and has grown to become the single largest youth service organization in the entire county, annually serving approximately 1200 children, and also works through the Purdue Extension Service to provide lifelong learning opportunities for many adults in this communtiy. The increasing size and diversity of the 4-H program necessitates a new facility. When discussing the possibilities we quickly realized that we must reach beyond ourselves and include the community in this project to really make a differenece in the future of Montgomery County.

Our market reseach shows that a multi-use facility, like we are proposing, will expand our vision community and region-wide, filling the current need for a facility that will be utilized throughout the entire year, as well as serving as a catalyst for new economic development. We hope you will support this new facility in continuing the proud traditions of Montgomery County 4-H and providing our community with new opportunities for education and recreation through more family, commercial and industrial endeavors.

FACILITY NEEDS/FACILITY DESIGN

FACILITY NEEDS - the current fairgrounds suffers from insufficient space for parking, vendors, and entertainment during our local 4-H Fair, and the 4-H Building and Exhibit Hall are both too small and lack the necessary amenitites to host many activities throughout the rest of the calendar year. Additionally, its location, in a residential area, precludes expansion and creates a major traffic flow problem for other special events. The county, in general, suffers from a shortage of suitable facilities for larger conventions, conferences, and socail events, such as wedding receptions or family reunions. We are proposing a superior venue to take full advantage of our proximity to the interstate and to fill a diverse need for creating new economic opportunities for the citizens and industries of our county and the surrounding areas.

The facility will make Montgomery Conty a multi-function county. We will not replace the already existing venues but will provide choices by enhancing the possibility of having multiple events happening at the same time or on the same weekend. In addition, we will create new opportunities for educational trade shows, state-of-the-art meetng facilities, and larger venues for both the business and private setors. We anticipate that this project could also bring new business prospects to our new Commerce Park adding to more economic value to our community. These are all major components in the success of the new Montgomery County Exposition Complex.

FACILITY DESIGN - Initial steps for the Montgomery county Exposition Complex (MCEC) project have already been successfully completed. These include identifying and purchasing a 39 acre parcel of land situated near the intersection of I-74 and Highway 231 just north of Crawfordsville in 2004. The purchase price of $195,000 was paid-in-full through the 4-H Incorporated Borad. The L-shaped parcel has road access from Industrial Drive and Industrial boulevard on the eastern side of the parcel. Additional road acdess is possible from a western entrance to County Road 100 W.

The next step (we are calling Phase One) of the MCEC is to raise funds to complete all the infrastructure work (roads, water, sewer, utilities) and begin building the Exposition Hall and Show Arena. Following phases will include ancillary pavilions and buildings to complete the project. We anticipate breaking ground in 2008 with your help.

Montgomery County Exposition Complex Steering Committee

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to make a donation to this exciting project, please call any member of the Steering Committee of the Montgomery County Exposition Complex.

Amy & Dave Allen - 765-361-9443
Scott Feller - 765-364-0780
Jack Grimble - 765-234-2792
Bill Henderson - 765-362-6851
Sharon Kenny - 765-362-5200
Larry Lovall - 765-359-0611
Jim Luzar - 765-364-6363
Rex Tribbett - 765-794-4831
Deb Zurawski - 765-361-1723

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