Monroe County Commissioners unanimously approved on Tuesday, Aug. 4 to build a new $4.8 million Agricultural & Natural Resources Center at the Monroe County Recreation Department.
Commissioners initially approved in December 2025 to contract with Forsyth-based Proform Construction on a design/build contract for the future Agricultural & Natural Resources Center, which will be built on the undeveloped portion of the rec department property close to the complex’s new entrance/exit off of Fairview Church Road.
On Tuesday, District 2 Commissioner Eddie Rowland presented the Board with preliminary exterior and interior concept plans for the building and presented a final cost estimate of $4,826,158 to be paid for using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds already allocated for the project. Commissioner Rowland said the contract with Proform will include: complete site work, foundation, framing, roof, doors/windows, mechanicals, fire sprinklers/alarms, camera/security/full technology package, a commercial kitchen with appliances, a cattle panel system with power reels/water, powered telescoping bleachers, and project management/bonding/insurance.
Commissioner Rowland said portions of the project not part of the Proform contract include: paved parking/roads, which will come from Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) funds, a greenhouse, which will be provided by a corporate donor, trailer parking, shavings storage, shelving, and furniture, including tables and chairs.
Commissioner Rowland opened his presentation on Tuesday by playing a seven-minute video created by Commission Chairman Alan Gibbs which showed local Future Farmers of America and 4-H youth participants and parents as well as agricultural leaders like local farmer James Vaughn and Agricultural & Natural Resources Agent Luke Quick describing the critical need for an ag center in Monroe County.
Commissioner Rowland then showed drawings of the ag building, which includes areas for animal holding, a show ring/learning lab, a teaching kitchen, a conference room, and office space for various agricultural-related groups, including the Monroe County 4-H Extension Office, which will move to the new ag center on a permanent basis upon its completion.
Commissioner Rowland said there are also future plans for a nature trail using $50,000 recently donated by Oglethorpe Power that will connect the currently used portion of the rec department, including the soon-to-be-reopened horse arena, with the new portion of the rec department where the ag center will be located. Commissioner Rowland said once clearing begins for the new ag center and nature trail, additional clearing will take place on the yet-to-be-developed portion of the recreation park to be used as a home for future multi-purpose fields and baseball/softball fields.
Commissioner Rowland said of the ag center project: “We’re standing here time after time after time saying, ‘We’re an agricultural, rural community. That’s what we want to be.’ This is our opportunity to show the State of Georgia that is what we are.”
Chairman Gibbs said the ag center has been in the discussion stages for more a decade, and it’s time for it to be built. He said he wants it to be a turnkey project of which Monroe County can be proud for years to come.
Chairman Gibbs said, “If anything, I want it to be a little bit more than what we need right now. Because the last thing that I want to do is build something that we’re at capacity when it’s complete.”
After about 20 minutes of discussion, Commissioner Rowland motioned to approve spending just over $4.8 million in SPLOST funds to build a new ag center at the Monroe County Rec Department. Commissioner Rowland’s motion was seconded by District 3 Commissioner John Ambrose and approved 5-0.
About two-dozen meeting attendees gave a loud round of applause after the Board voted to approve the ag center project. Later in Tuesday’s meeting, during “Public Comments”, three Monroe County citizens publicly showed their appreciation to the Board for moving forward on building the ag center.
Hwy. 42 North resident Bill Waldrep, a local farmer and retired agricultural educator at Mary Persons High School, particularly thanked Commissioner Rowland for keeping the project moving along when it seemed like it would never come to fruition. He also thanked Chairman Gibbs for making sure the ag center will be a top-notch facility.
Both Frank Bunn Drive resident Nipper Bunn and Bar None Road resident Candy Mountain also thanked Commissioners for approving the agricultural center. Mountain said the center will greatly benefit Monroe County’s youth.
Mountain said, “It’s going to help keep our kids off the streets. It’s going to teach them value. I know what it did for me when my dad got my horse. It kept me off the streets. I didn’t have time for that. I didn’t have time to be distracted by running the streets and getting into trouble.”
