Fort Smith Awaits Exhibition Building

The Arkansas Oklahoma Regional Education and Promotion Association Inc. has sold bonds to pay for a $2.6 million, 42,000-SF exhibition building at Kay Rodgers Park in Fort Smith.

Hathaway/Symonds is the architectural firm and SSI is the project’s general contractor.

The building will include administrative offices, two large public restrooms, a serving kitchen for large banquets, three meeting rooms for groups of up to 50, a 25,000-SF exhibit and banquet hall, and a separate exhibit area for antique wagons, buggies and other pieces from the Days of ’49 building.

Uses for the exhibition building include gun and knife shows, banquets, car shows and educational seminars. The primary use for the building will be to provide exhibit space and facilities for the Arkansas Oklahoma State Fair and Old Fort Days Rodeo and Futurity.

Buildings removed to provide room for the new facility include the Days of ’49 building, the Commercial Trades Exhibit Hall, the Poultry Building and Old McDonald’s Farm.