County puts brakes on MREC project
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For nearly a decade, Lake County, the City of Ronan and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have been working on plans to develop a new event and activity center west of Ronan, known as the Mission Range Event Complex that would be able to accommodate each entity’s recreational needs. From the county’s perspective, such a facility would allow for the expansion of the county fairgrounds, if similar infrastructure could be replicated on the Mission Range Event Complex property. Many people may be wondering why after almost a decade, the project has not moved forward.
There are many stumbling blocks, but the two most significant ones are the financial burden associated with developing and maintaining such a facility, coupled with the substantial economic downturn. The reality is that significant funds are definitely needed to finally move the project forward, and such funds are not currently available. Based on 2010 estimates, the cost of replacing the community center alone would be more than $1.6 million and the construction of multi-purpose buildings, grandstands, and a concession stand would cost approximately $4 million. Those costs do not address infrastructure needs such as roads, water, sewer, power and phone, which will likely raise the bill even more.
Understanding all the financial realities, the county commissioners currently do not feel it is in our taxpayers’ best interests to move the project forward at this time. Our current position by no means implies that Lake County would never support such a move. We feel that relocating to the proposed MREC facility or a similar site could be revisited when the economic climate changes and as funding becomes available.
Until a new multi-functional event and activity facility can be developed, the county commissioners will continue to work with the fair board to make the Lake County Fairgrounds in Ronan a safe and secure multi-functional event and activity center. Recent facility improvements have included much-needed upgrades to the arena and grandstands to address safety issues and help expand the facility’s usage potential. More projects are slated in the immediate future, including the addition of an outdoor warmup arena. Many of these projects have been made possible because of generous donations that Lake County has received from community members, local businesses, and groups such as the Friends of the Fairgrounds.
