County officials have finalized agreements with an architectural firm and a construction management company to build the new Canadian County Fairgrounds.

County commissioners, meeting as the county’s Public Facilities Authority, voted last week to hire Populous, a Norman-based architectural firm, to provide plans for the new complex.

Populous had previously provided preliminary plans for the project and also was involved in a feasibility study.

The vote confirmed actions previously taken by the Board of County Commissioners.

The authority also signed an agreement with Lingo Construction Services to serve as the construction manager on the project. Commissioners had selected that company earlier this month.

The commissioners, who serve on both boards, needed to approve the agreements through the Public Facilities Authority because that entity is responsible for the fairgrounds construction, Commissioner David Anderson said.

“It was cleaner to enter into a new agreement,” Anderson said.

Lingo, whose owner, Stan Lingo, lives near El Reno, will charge 5 percent of the project’s cost for its services.

Commissioners have budgeted $13.9 million for the new fairgrounds. They have borrowed $10 million, and have set aside $3.9 from the county’s use tax, Anderson said.

The design that Populous has developed features a large expo center. A barn, maintenance building, RV hookups and parking are included.

Two other buildings are considered as alternates, meaning they will be funded if bids on other work come in low enough, Anderson said.

One alternate is a building with stalls for livestock. The second alternate is a building of about 5,000 square feet for the OSU Extension Service.

The new fairgrounds will be built on 50 acres just east of the El Reno city limits at the intersection of Jensen Road and Alfadale Road. It is just east of U.S. 81 and south of Interstate 40.

The county purchased the property earlier this year from the Jensen family for $2.5 million with the option of purchasing an additional 50 acres in the future.