Staff reports 6:16 a.m.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 6:15 am

ROCHESTER- Mayor Caroline McCarley and City Manager Dan Fitzpatrick announced on Tuesday that the City of Rochester has reached an agreement in principle to purchase a portion of the Rochester Fair property.

According to a statement released from the city, on Monday evening a representative for the Rochester Agricultural and Mechanical Association, which owns the Rochester Fair, notified City Attorney Terence O'Rourke that the organization's board voted to accept the city's offer of $450,000 in exchange for approximately 11 acres of property.

The City of Rochester anticipates that it will use the land to construct a new public works facility.

"This is an extremely positive development for the city, and I'm glad that we were able to come to a preliminary agreement," McCarley said. "Having this land will ultimately benefit the city and its residents, and I'm eager to move ahead."

"We have been working cooperatively with RAMA, and I'm pleased that those efforts have resulted in a mutually beneficial agreement," Fitzpatrick said. "This is an excellent opportunity to further modernize and streamline our city services for the direct benefit of our residents."