The calendar for the Benton County Fairgrounds was packed in April.

It kicked off with a reptile and exotic pet expo, followed days later by the traveling Jordan World Circus. Later in the month was the annual Gem Show and a monster truck event. The lineup doesn’t account for the handful of private events that booked buildings on the grounds.

And Tom French, the fairgrounds manager, knows the 126-acre property is capable of hosting so much more.

“There’s a need, a want and a will, and we have the space,” he recently told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. “Our model is growth.”

That model is why part of the property’s parking lot is undergoing a $3 million upgrade to improve accessibility – a project that will be complete by the time the Benton Franklin Fair kicks off. The fair runs from Aug. 19-23.

And once the fair is in the rear view, another transformation will come to a well-known fairgrounds landmark: the grandstand at McDaniel Arena, home to the Horse Heaven Round-up rodeo.

Benton County will spend $9 million in local taxes and economic development funds to double the seating capacity to 6,000, install more and larger restrooms, put in new concession stands, upgrade lighting and audiovisual infrastructure, and make the facility accessible for those with limited mobility.

Making those improvements, though, does mean the original grandstand, with its large mural and western saloon-style facade, must be removed. County and fairground officials acknowledge change can be tough, but it’s necessary to bring a much-improved facility that will benefit the community, both for those attending events and for enticing other events to make a stop in Kennewick.

“The property needs to be updated,” French said. “We have this asset that can be such a positive for the community year-round.”

An arena with a grandstand has existed at the fairgrounds since before the mid-20th century but the current arena was built in 1969, replacing a facility that burned down in 1968. Most think that the facility is primarily for rodeo events during the fair, but it, like many of the buildings at the fairgrounds, is being increasingly used throughout the year.

“In 2022, we had 65 events. We had 108 last year,” French said.

The county developed a master plan for the fairgrounds in 2022, which identified the potential for the fairgrounds to be used more extensively, generating income for the county but also driving those coming to events to local hotels, restaurants and stores.

“We know those events they are hosting there are generating revenue for our businesses,” Hector Cruz, vice president of development and community outreach for Visit Tri-Cities, told the Journal.

While French said he wants the arena to be the rodeo capital of the region, it’s also well suited for outdoor music festivals and concerts. Community members have said in surveys that they want to see more events like that in the future, he added, and bringing them to town requires a larger and updated facility.

“That puts us in the market with Spokane, with Boise,” French said. “We can position ourselves to be a stop.”

Construction is expected to start as soon as this year’s fair wraps up, and it will take a year for it to be completed.

Updating the current arena grandstand to meet those goals wasn’t financially feasible, French said, largely because so much of the structure has outlived its functionality. And that means the current facility must be demolished to make way for the new.

That decision hasn’t been without some heartache. Fairgrounds officials say they have heard concerns from community members about what will happen to the mural and grandstand facade. Officials are currently working to have the mural reproduced so it can be displayed on the new building.

“We truly understand the historical significance of the building,” French said. “We’re going to do everything we can to preserve the heritage they represent. Our only goal is to make it better.”