Fairgrounds – out with the old, in with the new
BY SUZANNE WERRE
BHG News Service
When a fair-goer stepped through the spongy floor of the county fair home ec building floor on the last day of the fair this summer, that was absolutely the last straw. The McLean County Fair Board decided then and there that it absolutely had to get a new building at the fairgrounds, and get rid of the 1980s double-wide trailer (commonly known as the home ec building) that has housed the home ec, open class and school exhibits for years. The building was donated back in the 1980s by CPA/UPA, and has served its purpose through the years.
The old double-wide will be torn down soon, replaced by a brand new 44 x 90-foot metal building, a permit for which was approved at the Underwood City Commission’s most recent meeting.
According to Diane Schell, McLean County Fair Board president, the new building won’t exactly replace the old double-wide trailer. It won’t be on the spot, and it won’t just be home to just the home ec, school and open class exhibits. The new building will be located a little further east, using the already standing concrete slab that has been used for basketball and music, dancing and other entertainment.
