BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — The Brazos County Expo Center is getting a major facelift with county commissioners recently approving a $3.5 million contract for phase one of renovations at the Leonard Road complex.
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"It's just time to give her a facelift and kind of bring her back up and let her shine again," said Jacqueline Foster, expo general manager.
The most critical repair involves replacing the facility's 18-year-old roof, which has been plagued by leaks due to exposed screws that attach the roofing material.
"The one that was put on 18 years ago has the attaching screws that hold the roof on, they're exposed. And so this is going to be a replacement of that with a standing seam roof that there's no exposed screws. We shouldn't have a problem with leaks again, hopefully forever," said Duane Peters, Brazos County judge.
The renovation project will also address concrete issues caused by the area's shifting clay soils.
"I mean, everybody that lives in Brazos County knows that the clay soils we've got shift, they heave, and concrete moves and so there's some issues there that we have to deal with and need to deal with," Peters said.
The expo center serves as a vital community hub, hosting approximately 150 events covering 450 event days annually. The facility is particularly important for local youth programs, including the annual youth livestock show held every March.
"Annually we hold our youth livestock show at the Expo Center. So we're there for a week every March and it's essentially home for hundreds of kids for that week. You know, facilities that are up to date facilities that are usable again is a critical aspect to us being successful there," said Brian Binford of the Brazos County Youth Livestock Association.
Foster said the expo center generated $66 million in economic impact for the community in 2024. She hopes the repair work will begin in February.
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