Commission To Consider Land Purchase For Expo Center/Fairgrounds

A 130-acre property off Tennessee Avenue could be the site for an expo center or new fairgrounds.

The Putnam County Commission will consider a recommendation to move forward with purchasing the property during next week’s meeting.

County Mayor Randy Porter said Monday that commissioners would be wise to move forward with the project.

The Trinity Church property sits on Old Sparta Road near Highway 111.

“I’ve been looking at this for three and a half years, at the instruction of the commission. It’s very difficult to find large tracts of land with the infrastructure and visibility that that kind of property is going to need,” Porter said. “My advice to them is that if they want to do this, this is a great chance to do it at a great price. If they don’t, then we’ll put the project on hold and move on.”

The Fiscal Review Committee made the recommendation to purchase the property during Monday night’s meeting. The county has the option to purchase all or at least 105-acres of the property for $27,000 per acre.

Porter had presented two potential sites for a new fairgrounds or expo center during last month’s county commission meeting. The other property sits off Old Sparta Road and totals 109-acres with a $34,800 per acre asking price.

A motion to purchase both properties fell just short of gaining a majority vote during Monday’s committee meeting. District 1 Commissioner Jonathan Williams made the motion and said purchasing both properties would better serve the county’s future needs.

“There aren’t too many tracts of land like this that are going to be available for the county to purchase. It’s going to become even less likely down the road,” Williams said. “We know in a few years we’re going to be looking for a new high school. The county bus garage and highway department are in prime pieces of property inside the city of Cookeville and need to be moved elsewhere.”

Porter provided a $7.2 million cost estimate for purchasing both properties. He said the appraised value of the current fairgrounds is $10.1 million.