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County, fairgrounds to address need for additional restrooms

By Nick Blank nick@claytodayonline.com
Posted 12/1/21

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Fairgrounds has plans for a new permanent restroom facility by 2023 to improve the fair experience.

Fair General Manager Tasha Hyder said there would be a …

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County, fairgrounds to address need for additional restrooms


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Fairgrounds has plans for a new permanent restroom facility by 2023 to improve the fair experience.

Fair General Manager Tasha Hyder said there would be a minimum of 12 restrooms for the facility estimated at $250,000, but the figure could expand to 18 restrooms. The fairground feasibility study concluded more restrooms were needed.

“If you’ve been to the midway, restrooms are not easy to find on the midway and that’s where a lot of our families and children visit the fair,” Hyder said. “ … I don’t think you can go wrong with more restrooms at any establishment.”

Hyder said the largest complaints about the fair are about traffic and restrooms, but traffic complaints were nonexistent after this year’s fair, she said.

“Our hope was to fix that complaint this year,” Hyder said. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to go through that one more year. [We hope 2023] is our year for restrooms.”

Hyder said the fairgrounds will always have a need for restrooms, but adding a facility near the midway area is a step in the right direction. Hyder also requested adding the facility in lieu of the rental fees for the Clay County Fair in 2022 to 2024, about $180,000 – $70,000 fewer than the estimated facility construction cost.

“I think the public is getting good value, and as an attendee of the fair, that’s a huge upgrade,” County Commissioner Betsy Condon said.

Commissioner Mike Cella said adding the facility would give the fairgrounds flexibility. The facility fits with the overall fair plan, Tourism Development Director Kimberly Morgan said. Morgan said there were capacity issues with the fairground’s current facilities.

“We needed to increase the number of restrooms available,” Morgan said.

The project will coincide with the Clay County Utility Authority’s project for sewer and water services at the fairgrounds, which will begin after the next fair in April. The Clay County Fair Association has already contracted with a company to begin design work for the restroom project.

“Will we ever fix the restroom problem? No, and all event organizers have that problem,” Hyder said.