PRINEVILLE, OR -- The Crook County Fairgrounds is getting an upgrade, with new restrooms. County Judge Seth Crawford says right now, any large event means renting porta-potties to meet demand, "This facility will lower that. It’s going to have showers, changing room, family bathrooms and a meeting room. So, it’ll also be available for citizens to rent - a family reunion, or whatever. We get a lot of different people wanting to rent different spaces at the fairgrounds, so that’ll be another addition." He adds,"It’ll be a really great place for the jockeys and rodeo riders to get ready for their events, as well as a place for people to use the restroom and not have to go into a hot, sweaty plastic box"

The 3,000-square foot facility should be open by next summer and replaces the jockey room on the north side of the grandstands. Crawford tells KBND News it will make the entire facility more appealing for visitors, "One of our biggest economic drivers in our community - people don’t think about that. But if the thing that’s putting people in restaurants and heads in hotel beds is the Peewee Rodeo, our rodeo, the races, the fair, barrel racing, the Rockhound Powow. There’s all kinds of stuff going on, at this point year round, at the fairgrounds to help businesses survive in the non-tourism times."

A $277,000 grant from the Oregon Fairs Association will help cover some costs associated with the $400,000 project.