ALTUS – An increase in sales and hotel-motel taxes prompted the city council to allocate $225,000 toward ongoing renovations at the Jackson County Expo Center.
The request for the funds was approved at the May 3 city council meeting. Altus already had committed more than $1 million toward the Expo improvements. The $225,000 will come from the city’s Economic Development account, City Manager Gary Jones said. The money will be used to pay for a storage facility and a parking lot apron.
Rhet Johnson, Jackson County Commissioner for District 3, said most of the renovations should be completed by August. The lone remaining project will be the installation of the heating and air system, which should be finished in October, he said.
“It’s coming along nicely,” Johnson said of the renovations. “This will help us get people into Altus and Jackson County for overnight stays. We anticipate a full ledger of events.”
Johnson pointed to a livestock show held in July 2021 that produced 50% more revenue than any other event held in Altus or Jackson County due to the weekend hotel stays.
“It was wild how much money that brought in. When you have an event for a weekend it’s astronomical how much money that brings in,” the commissioner said.
Although the heat and air system won’t be finished until the fall, the Jackson County Free Fair will be held as scheduled at the Expo Center in September.
The remodel list includes replacing the Expo Center’s dirt floor with concrete, enclosing the wash rack, new liner panels around the arena area, indoor and outdoor paint, handicapped parking, asphalt parking around the arena, new LED lighting, restroom and plumbing upgrades and several aesthetics that will give the Expo Center a more modernized appearance. In addition, the county will upgrade the kitchen and dining area and install new animal pens.
The arena’s concrete floor was poured in November 2021 and the major construction projects started three weeks ago, Johnson said.
Johnson and Jones said they hope to attract gun, car, craft and livestock shows while making Altus and Jackson County a prime location for big events. Wood shavings can be placed on the concrete floor for a livestock show, Johnson said.
“This (Expo Center) is the perfect size for that (livestock show),” Johnson said.