The Marshall County 4-H Fair Board is looking to apply for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to help pay for a new community center and Fair Board President Rob Hurford asked the county council’s permission Monday night to move forward with that project.
He explained that the community center will be a revenue generating feature on the fairgrounds to help fund operations. Hurford said the center can function as a reception hall for weddings as the plan calls for a seating capacity of 450. It can also be used for senior services, community meetings, auctions, graduation parties, and a multitude of other uses.
The total cost of the project is close to $800,000 with the local match of $50,000 of which the fair board is currently trying to raise. They are also looking to raise the additional $250,000 that the grant will not cover to complete the project. Hurford mentioned that they are looking into applying for several smaller grants to help fund the project.
The Marshall County Commissioners last week approved a request to become the sponsor for this Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant which means the county merely is a pass-through point where funding is concerned.
Hurford asked the county council’s permission to apply for the grant. The county would be the recipient of the grant with the 4-H Fair Board as the secondary recipient. It was noted that county money will not be used in any part of the process.
The county council approved the request to move forward with the Community Development Block Grant application. The 4-H Fair Board will be working with a grant writer for the project. An income survey will be produced and distributed soon to Marshall County homeowners to determine if eligibility requirements meet the guidelines specified in the grant.
