News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Overton County has received more than $545,000 in CDBG grant money to put toward revitalizing the Fairgrounds.
County Executive Steven Barlow said there are three big projects on top of the list to get done. He said paving the handicap parking, renovating bathrooms and adding a covered pavilion to the grounds are the priority. He said the county chose the fairgrounds, because it is a place where everyone in the community can gather.
“For a lot of families the fair is their Disneyland, you know what I mean,” Barlow said. “They might not be able to ever afford to go down to Florida or anything like that. So, the fair’s where they get to go ride their rides and do things like that. So, as a kid you look up to that.”
The next step will be for the county to bid out these projects. Barlow said he hopes to have some of the work done in time for the 2024 Overton County Fair in July.
Barlow said any money left from the grant will go toward upgrading other buildings at the fairgrounds.
“When we put in for this grant the price changes are different now from what it was back then,” Barlow said. “Hopefully, we’ll have enough left over to do a little face lift.”
Barlow said if there is money left they want to build a separate arena for the horses and another pavilion. Barlow said that one set of the current bathrooms are a huge issue.
“We have two sets of bathrooms there now,” Barlow said. “One set of bathrooms we’re constantly having problems with it backing up. It needs replaced. It’s the oldest one we have there. If you’ve ever been there, you walk into flooding.”
Barlow said he hopes adding a pavilion will set the fairgrounds up to host concerts.
“Back when I was a kid they used to do concerts there,” Barlow said. “We’re excited about that. I remember Travis Tritt actually sang at the Livingston Fairgrounds.”
The Community Development Block Grant is part of a $36.6 million effort by the state to provide communities with infrastructure improvements.
