SALISBURY — The Rowan County Fair Association is again offering to buy the fairgrounds on Julian Road from the county.
Fair Manager Johnny Love said today that the association made an offer Monday of $500,000 for the roughly 40-acre property, which it currently rents from the county for $25,000 per year.
The Rowan County Agricultural and Industrial Fair Association wants to create an air- conditioned event center and new bathrooms on the property, Love said, either by renovating the current facilities or building new ones.
“We’d like to start improving the fairgrounds so it can be used year-round,” Love said. “But we can’t afford to spend a couple hundred thousand dollars on buildings if we don’t own the property.”
He said the offer amounts to about $12,500 per acre — the same price the association pitched to the county two years ago.
In November 2009, county commissioners considered the prior offer but said the price was too low.
The 60th annual Rowan County Agricultural and Industrial Fair will be held this year from Sept. 19 through Sept. 24 at the fairgrounds, located at 1560 Julian Road.
Read more in Saturday’s Post.