State Tourism Grant Money Help Fund Work At Putnam Fairgrounds

A $100,000 state tourism grant will help Putnam County with the construction of the new Fairgrounds off Tennessee Avenue.

County Mayor Randy Porter said the money will be used for lighting and electricity in the arena area. He said the grant will pay roughly one-third of the $300,000 project.

“We think this event center and new fairgrounds, all that is going to be a great asset for the county, for tourism,” Porter said. “There’s Going to be a lot of events here that aren’t coming now, and when you do that you get folks staying in our hotels, eating at our restaurants and all that tourism dollars coming in.”

Porter said the lighting work will be done this spring. Porter said the dirt work, utilities and paving is almost done and should wrap up in December. Porter said the arena grandstands are also ordered and set to be installed by the summer.

“I know everybody’s been talking about all the work they’re seeing,” Porter said. “Once they get the streets, when when people drive in and see it, I think that’ll make a big difference, people see the lay out. It’s going to be really nice. I think it’s going to be a great thing for Putnam County.”

Porter credited Marcie Ackerman at the Upper Cumberland Development District with securing the grant money.

“They do a great job at the Development District watching for these grants,” Porter said. “When they see them come up, they notify me, and then we look at it and see if it’s something that will be good for us, then we apply. She’s done extremely well for us.”

He said said if they cannot hold the annual fair at the old fairgrounds next year, the new fairgrounds on Tennessee Avenue should be close enough to completion to host the event.

Construction on the convention center began several weeks ago. Porter said he expects that project will be ongoing until the fall.