Ground was broken Friday morning on Pembroke Road behind the Christian County Extension Office, making way for a new Agriculture Expo Center that will be constructed there.
Many years in the making, the 45,000 square foot building will be able to host horse and cattle shows, along with private, commercial or tourism related activities that need an indoor space. Robert Alexander with the Christian County Ag Extension Foundation says children of the future from Christian and surrounding counties will be able to say they got their start in agriculture here.
Brandon Garnett with Farm Credit Mid-America says the facility will impact the local economy and tourism industry—but most importantly, it will impact local youth in a positive way.
Jay Stone described what the building will look like, including a multi-functional dirt floor, and they hope to have construction completed within a year.
The facility is funded through a partnership with the Christian County Ag. Extension Office, Christian Fiscal Court, the City of Hopkinsville, Farm Credit Mid-America and other agencies, and the cost of the project is expected to be around $1.85 million. Stone says that could change however, as the construction gets underway and they’ll be looking for partners in the future for operational costs.