COMMUNITY
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
COMMENTARY
EOTEC moves forward,
still a work in progress
By ED BROOKSHIER
EOTEC board chairman
From the beginning, the
scope of the Eastern Ore-
gon Trade & Event Center
(EOTEC) project has always
been subject to available
funding. This means that it
has always been a “work
in progress,” and subject to
change as prices and funding
change. For the most part
these things are beyond the
control of the EOTEC board.
The following components
have been on the drawing
board from the start:
ƒ %elow ground work
(infrastructure)
ƒ E[hibitor and event
center
ƒ 5odeo venue
ƒ /ivestock barns
ƒ 9endor facilities
ƒ $ccess, entry and
signage
ƒ 3rofessional services,
various fees and costs (soft
costs)
ƒ Furniture, ¿[tures and
equipment (FF&E)
ƒ 6torage and mainte-
nance
ƒ *rounds facilities for
parking, carnival, etc.
ƒ 3ublic amenities such as
restrooms, etc.
ƒ Full service 59 park
ƒ $mphitheater
ƒ ,ndoor arena
ƒ -+ building
$t this point the last three
listed above are not being
pursued, and won’t be unless
unanticipated funding ma-
teriali]es. $nd though there
will be some 59 park-type
capacity, it certainly won’t be
“full service.”
The e[hibitor and event
center is fully funded and
under construction. That fa-
cility will host -+ and open
class activities during fair,
plus a variety of other events
throughout the year.
The EOTEC board e[pects
to move forward soon with
the construction of at least
one barn, and the beginning
phases of the rodeo piece. We
do have the funding on hand
to begin this work.
There are also funds on
hand to put toward the other
components that are still part
of the site plan. These other
components, though, are in
delay status until the board
can determine whether to
seek new bids re-e[amine
priorities; to scrub the budget
to see how far funds on hand
can be stretched; and e[plore
possibilities for additional
funding to assure that what
gets “built out” is of the qual-
ity needed to do the job now
and into the future.
The EOTEC board is
pleased with the work being
done by Frew Development
*roup. The board had hoped
to be far enough along to
host the 2016 fair and rodeo,
but have moved away from
that date for the reasons
mentioned above. There is
ample time for EOTEC to be
ready for the fair and rodeo
to move out of their current
location by the end of 2016
(as originally agreed upon
with the school district). , be-
lieve it’s safe to say that the
fair and rodeo will be in good
shape to produce their events
at the EOTEC site in 2017.
Chairman Chet 3rior’s un-
timely and une[pected death
certainly was a blow. %ut the
EOTEC %oard is still pulling
together. We are 100 percent
committed to delivering for
Chet and for the public. We
are seeking and listening to
input that will assist in the
review process alluded to
above. We all need to support
these efforts, and be patient
while this is concluded.
+opefully that will occur by
mid to late November.
$ ¿nal comment, actually
a quote that pretty well cap-
tures the division of attitudes
toward the EOTEC project:
“$ person who wants some-
thing to happen will ¿nd a
way; a person who doesn’t
will ¿nd an e[cuse.”
Thank you to the many
proponents and supporters of
this worthy project.
Ed Brookshier is chair-
man of the EOTEC board.
I s Y our D aughter
C elebrating H er
~
Q uinceanera?
Share the happy
news with a
FREE
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
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HERMISTON HERALD
$ Community Camp¿re
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fect way to enjoy a crisp
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,n its fourth year, the
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