Along with what Churchill County and City of Fallon staff call a great partnership, last week several groups of young people including 4-H clubs and juvenile probation kids were at the Churchill County Fairgrounds painting fences in the new re-furbished outdoor arena. Work on all facilities at the fairgrounds is being completed as the county puts the finishing touches on the all-new Rafter 3C Arena.
The facility name came from shortening the Community Civic Center and a description of the front of the new arena which proudly displays an impressive “rafter” – Rafter 3C Arena.
Jesse Segura has been hired by the county to manage the 3C Arena, tapping into his 20-years of experience and a long list of contacts to draw events to the facility and the community.
“We tore this whole thing down and rebuilt it,” he said. “It’s part of the refurbish money that they allowed me to use to help this outdoor arena work with the indoor arena better. It will just be more efficient for what we’re doing.”
Segura is working on bringing several large events to the fairgrounds that will bring people from out of town for several days and contribute to local business revenue. “We have a couple of events we have in the works that for the fairgrounds, rental wise will be the biggest events we’ve ever gotten here.” He said these events will pay $25 - $30,000 to rent the facilities and then over the course of the event, for four to five days, will contribute $8 million to the economic impact to the community.
One of the big events will be held in October and will be announced as soon as it is confirmed. “We only need three or four of those a year and the building will pay for itself,” he said. Segura figures in two years, the county contribution to the building, outside of the COVID relief money, will be paid for. “If you get 500 to 800 contestants coming in, they’re all spending money, if you get 800 people to spend $200 over a weekend, and that’s low-end, that’s a lot of impact,” said Segura. “And that’s not their family either. On the average, for one equine event, a participant will bring in $1,200 to whatever town they go to in a weekend.”
According to Jim Barbee, county manager, who spoke recently to the Fallon Chamber members, the total cost of the Rafter 3C building so far, is right at $13 million.
“The idea for this facility, the reason they had the idea to build it is it helps everybody. If there is a recession, these buildings aren’t recession proof, but they sure help generate economic impact in a community,” said Segura.
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