Kansas State Fair officials say a nearly 50-year-old barn and show ring is showing its age and needs to be replaced.

The Hutchinson News reports the officials plan to ask the Legislature for money for the project. A contractor estimates that it would cost between $4.7 million and $5.5 million to demolish the building, known as the Expo Center, and replace it with one of similar size.

Built in 1964, the Expo Center is one of the fair’s most-used buildings in the offseason. It’s often rented for horse shows, rodeos and other livestock events.

Fair Board member Brad Rayl said Wednesday that without repair or replacement, the building will eventually “get to a place where it is structurally unsound.”
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Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News