Palouse Empire Fair launches Community Building project

This year's edition of the Palouse Empire fair will feature a construction zone with an addition to the Community Building underway. The project is the latest major addition to the fairground which is being done by the Palouse Empire Fair Foundation.

Chad Startin, foundation president, told the fair board Monday night they plan to have the walls of the addition project up by the start of the fair Sept. 10. The project will then be on hold until the fair concludes.

The project also calls for interior changes to the Community Building, but those will be on hold until after the fair.

Introduced at the April fair board meeting, the project involves a 24-foot addition along the north side of the building. The building's present kitchen and office space will be moved into the new addition with several modernizations.

Space now occupied by the kitchen and office will be used as additional meeting space for the building. One of the aims of the project is to have meeting spaces available which will not require use of the whole building. That will cut down heating and maintenance costs.

Cost estimates for the project range from $350,000 to $400,000, and Startin said the foundation will gladly accept more donations to keep the project going.

They expect to have the project completed some time in October.