The Douglas County Fairgrounds will try to raise up to $1 million in mostly private donations to improve the Pavilion Arena.

The 20,000-square-foot building is one of the most heavily used buildings at the fairgrounds. It hosts livestock shows and auctions, bull riding and barrel racing and other events throughout the year.

Built in 1954, the building needs a new roof and refurbishing inside and out, Fairgrounds Director Harold Phillips said.

“It's a great building, and I don't want to see it deteriorate,” Phillips said Tuesday during a meeting of the Douglas County Fair Board.

The upgrades, with an estimated cost of between $800,000 and $1 million, will include a new facade. Metal bleachers will replace wooden bleachers and will be installed at a steeper pitch to give spectators a better view, Phillips said.

“When you drive in the main gate, it's the first building you see, and it will draw a lot of attention,” Phillips said.

The Lilja Family Fund has pledged an undisclosed amount of money for the construction project. The fund, established by siblings Don and Helen Lilja in 1994, provides money for scholarships and community projects mostly in south Douglas County. The building will be renamed in the Liljas' honor, Phillips said.

Fair officials hope to raise money with a poker tournament Feb. 25 at the fairgrounds and to receive donations from foundations, groups and individuals.

“Now that the plans are finished, and the cost has been estimated, we can take it out to potential donors,” Phillips said.

Phillips said he would like to see the money raised and the upgrades completed before the Douglas County Fair in August, but he said that may be too ambitious of a timeline.

Fair officials have dropped for now a proposal to fund capital projects with a lodging tax.

Last summer, they suggested a tax paid by guests of motels, hotels, RV parks and campgrounds in unincorporated parts of the county could maintain and upgrade buildings at the complex.

A push to introduce a lodging tax will not begin until next year, Phillips said. The tax would have to put on the ballot by county commissioners and approved by voters.

Other plans for the pavilion include doubling the size of bathrooms, installing a smaller bathroom, remodeling the kitchen, painting the interior and allowing sunlight into the building.

“I'm excited about this,” veteran fair board member Mike Keller said after hearing about the plans.

Also at the fairgrounds, a project to reduce energy costs has been completed. New lights installed in buildings throughout the fairgrounds will save an estimated $20,000 a year.

• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 541-957-4209 or by email at jsowell@nrtoday.com.