WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – There’s a new event venue coming to Wythe County. Plans are moving forward for an exposition center that can host everything from horse shows to MMA fights.
Friday's groundbreaking event was 20 years in the making. The initial idea was for this area to host events like livestock shows, but it’s expanded as a venue for concerts, regional fairs, high school events, bridal shows and more.
County leaders call it the Apex Center. It's between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell.Â
“It’s been a joint effort with some folks that’ve worked hours and hours for years on this," said Joe Hale, a member of the Wythe County Board of Supervisors.
County leaders say each day 70,000 drivers pass the property, which is near both interstates 81 and 77. As construction is set to begin, plans include a 90,000-square-foot arena, as well as barns and other fields.
"We're looking at a facility that's going to be able to have 4,000 people for a concert so we're very excited about that," said Jeremy Farley, the Wythe County public information officer:
County leaders hope the events attract other businesses, like hotels and restaurants, to bring in more money to the county. They've received outside investments, and have contributed $7.5 million to the property so far, saying the county needed to help planning get off the ground.
"The more partnerships we can make, whether that's government or private industry, the more successful it's going to be," said Matthew Miller, chairman of the Appalachian Exposition Center Authority, which manages the property.
But Monday’s groundbreaking comes as many people in the community are hoping the county can put more money into needed school facility improvements. County leaders agreed on a $10 million bond for George Wythe High School, but some estimates show the school may need more than that.
Board of Supervisors member Dr. Gary Houseman has opposed the county putting money toward the expo center and has pushed for more funding for county schools.
“I didn’t think the county should be in the business of building something like (the expo center)," he said.
He said he’d like to see George Wythe High get the same funding other schools in the county have received.
County leaders say the Apex Center should open around next September. They said they're already taking calls for groups that want to book events.