By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
A draft feasibility study for an agricultural exposition center in Barren County strongly supports the need for such a venue, citing a viable market and justification for the facility, but stops short of establishing that it can cover its long-term operating expenses.
The draft study notes that the Cave City Area Agricultural Expo Center, an estimated $30 million capital investment, is anchored by the $20 million federal earmarked funds for its construction, with Codell Construction selected as the project’s construction manager. The current capital plan is targeting approximately $20 million in federal New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) and $10 million in state NMTCs.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd has previously said the New Market Tax Credits will provide the additional amenities envisioned for the project, including the year-round, climate-controlled arena.
With a reported $27 million project, Byrd has said the NMTCs will cover the additional $7 million needed on top of the $20 million federal earmarked funding for construction.
However, county officials have maintained that adequate funding is needed to sustain the project, particularly during its startup phase. That has led to discussions about potentially dissolving of a nearly three-decade partnership with the Glasgow-Barren County Tourist & Convention Commission.
Byrd has voiced her support for a breakaway despite some public scrutiny, noting that state law will allow the county to impose an additional tourism tax, but only if the partnership ends. A tourism tax is generated by visitors to an area and would not become an annual tax on residents’ tax bills.
“I know the controversy on the separation of tourism for Barren County and Glasgow, [but] it is not a negative thing,” Byrd told Glasgow News 1 in September. “It’s a positive thing because we are able to use that to make sure a facility like this is going to be maintained. It will also help us with the New Market Tax Credits applications.”
Such efforts are part of the county’s broader strategy to address the facility’s long-term funding needs.
“We want to be able to bring things like this to our community [without having] to charge a large amount of money per day to rent because you will have less events,” Byrd explained. “If you can charge a little bit cheaper amount to rent it and have a cushion to keep the expenses down.”
Byrd said this allows for more added events and more people to come to the area.
“It helps out people in every business from gas stations, boutiques, coffee and ice cream shops, restaurants, hotels, everybody. So, more events is better for everybody,” she said.
The draft study, prepared in May 2026 by MWM Consulting, aligns with the county’s efforts to address the funding gaps, as it does not yet establish that an Ag Expo Center in Cave City will be financially self-sustaining, specifically stating that a site operating pro forma has not yet been developed.
As a result, the draft feasibility study does not provide a forecast of the venue’s financial performance. Instead, it compares the proposed facility with four similar venues: Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex (Virginia); Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center and Williamson County Ag Expo Park (both in Tennessee); and WNC Agricultural Center (North Carolina).
For example, rural Virginia’s Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex completed nine economic impact analyses in the first six months of 2024, estimating approximately $575,000 in new spending in the region from 19 events, according to the draft study.
The study acknowledges that the Williamson County venue has substantially greater household incomes and development pressure than Barren County. Likewise, the Great Smoky Mountains market has a substantially larger tourism base.
Anticipated revenue streams include facility rentals, stall fees, RV hookups, concessions, sponsorships/naming rights, parking fees, ticket surcharges, and ancillary services.
The draft study says a future financial analysis would project seven to ten years of revenue, operating expenses, and net operating income using realistic event volumes and rental rates against comparable facilities.
Tourism Diversification
The draft study shows that an ag expo center will diversify Cave City’s current tourism economy, highlighting Mammoth Cave National Park, Barren River Lake State Resort Park, and the broader Caves, Lakes, and even Corvettes region as part of an existing tourism base.
In 2024, Barren County generated $88.9 million in direct visitor spending and $119.2 million in economic impact, according to the draft study, which cites a Kentucky Tourism Economic Impact Report. This placed the county in the top 20 of Kentucky’s 120 counties for visitor spending, the study states.
The draft feasibility study projects an estimated 57 events per year and a 70% attendance rate of the venue’s 3,000-seat capacity, resulting in an estimated 239,400 unique attendee visits each year once the venue reaches its projected utilization.
It estimates generating $30.5 million in overall regional economic output, including nearly $13 million in lodging and $10 million in food and beverage spending.
Staffing projections
How would the facility be staffed?
The draft study projects 211 jobs, including three full-time positions: a marketing director, an event manager, and a setup/maintenance worker. Other staffing needs for individual events will be met through contract labor and volunteers.
“Existing personnel at the Cave Area Conference Center will be utilized to oversee the additional facility through an interlocal agreement between Cave City and Barren County,” the study states.
Moving forward
The draft feasibility study ultimately supports proceeding with the proposed Ag Expo Center, concluding that the project is viable based on regional agricultural demand, existing event activity, tourism infrastructure, and comparable facilities. However, it stops short of establishing that the facility will be financially self-sustaining because a detailed operating pro forma had not been completed at the time the study was published.
As the design development phase nears completion, Byrd said in September the next steps include finalizing an account to receive the federal funds and beginning work on a bid package to bid out the project. This phase also allows the project to begin submitting NMTC applications.
“The goal for a facility like this is not to make money, it’s to bring business in for our community and opportunities for our local citizens as well,” Byrd said.
Comments