LANCASTER — A 4,300-square-foot addition to the Garrard County Agricultural Extension Service office is virtually completed.
Aside from a “few finishing touches,” the Stanford Road building expansion is complete, said Mary Hixson, Garrard’s extension agent for family and consumer services.
The building, which used to be 800 square feet, needed more meeting space for groups such as Ag Development Council, Cattlemen’s Association, Extension Homemakers and Future Farmers of America. Most 4-H activities take place in the schools, though sometimes 4-H clubs use the extension service office.
The effort cost $700,000 and was mostly funded through state agricultural finance programs, Hixson said. The project also added a second entrance to the property’s parking lot, which should ease traffic problems associated with major events.
Approximately 350 people visited the revitalized building during an open house held Tuesday. The crowd included a number of local and state officials such as State Rep. Lonnie Napier, Garrard County Judge-Executive John Wilson, Garrard Magistrate Joe Leavell, Lancaster Mayor Brenda Powers and Lancaster City Council members Chris Davis and Maggie Mick.
“This is a beautiful building,” Wilson said. “The people in Garrard County have a lot to be proud of when looking at this building.”
It took about six months for builders to complete the expansion. During that time, a number of community organizations, including Lancaster Baptist Church, Friends of Paint Lick, Lancaster Housing Authority and Garrard County Public Library, lent space to extension agents when needed.
Any community organization or business that would like to hold an educational event can arrange to use the extension service office’s meeting space, based on availability, free of charge, according to Hixson. Extension agents also welcome visits from people who did not get to see the expanded building. For more information, call (859) 792-3026.
