SWEETWATER COUNTY — Stakeholders participated in meetings at the Sweetwater Events Complex earlier this month to provide input for an updated master plan.
The Sweetwater Events Complex recently enlisted the help of K/O Architects – K/O Fairground Planners to update the master plan. According to Events Complex Executive Director Kandi Pendleton, K/O’s experience includes multi-purpose facilities, conference centers, expo halls, arenas, rodeos, livestock barns, grandstands, tracks, motorsports, equine facilities, entertainment venues, and concert facilities.
“The plan will be a dynamic long-term planning document that provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development and will take approximately 12 months to develop,” Pendleton said. “Our goal is that the master plan will help everyone visualize current facility improvements and future projects. The Sweetwater Events Complex has a strong foundation. We hope to repurpose some of the property and improve the existing facilities all while planning for the future.”
Pendleton said to successfully reach their goals for the complex, they started asking for input from various stakeholders.
“We hosted two days of meetings and invited the Sweetwater County Fair Board, the Sweetwater County Commission, community leaders, business owners, facility renters, and horse and livestock users to participate. Chip Overton with K/O Architects lead the discussion and helped facilitate the brainstorming sessions,” she said.
During the meetings. more than 65 stakeholders split into seven small groups and discussed their own visions for the complex.
“K/O Architects received an enormous amount of feedback for both long- and short-term improvements. While we won’t be able to provide everything for everybody, we are confident we can move forward with a solid plan for facility improvements and future projects,” Pendleton said.
Pendleton said they plan to have additional meetings for public input to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. While K/O Architects is tasked with gathering data and presenting their findings and suggestions for a final master plan, the decision is in local hands.
“Ultimately, the Sweetwater County Fair Board, in conjunction with the Sweetwater County Commission, will need to make decisions about the role of the events complex and prioritize projects based on needs and funding sources,” Pendleton said.
