Milestone: Agricultural and convention center finally to become a reality

Wayne County marked a milestone in the county's history Thursday as ground was broken for an agricultural and convention center.

For decades, county leaders have talked about building such a facility, one that could accommodate large meetings and events and draw visitors -- and dollars -- to the county.

The current leadership of the county and the city of Goldsboro are to be commended for taking this vision and turning it into reality. The new center is expected to become a hub of activity, from entertaining visitors to housing new agricultural offices. It has been talked about for many years but the current crop of county commissioners, to their credit, decided to stop studying the idea and take the bull by the horns.

The center is a good example of a public/private enterprise. Besides the tax dollars that will be used, there have been significant donations from private companies. And without the partnership between the county and the city, it would still be where it has languished for years -- on the drawing board.

The center will stand for many decades as a testament to the foresight of those men and women who have guided the city and county during the early part of the 21st century. We can all take pride in it.

Published in Editorials on July 15, 2016 9:12 AM