The Placer County Fairgrounds are getting a major transformation, in a partnership between the Placer Valley Tourism Board and funding from the county, $34 million is being injected into what has become known as The Grounds. With room for 17 basketball courts pending capacity of up to 7000 people, the future is looking bright for this area of the county. Seeing an investment at this magnitude within the Placer County area only bodes well for the capabilities that will be available once construction is complete.
 
One of the main focuses of the new grounds is to provide a larger outdoor sporting area, with a focus on the most popular draws in the county, being basketball, baseball and other such events. Not only this, but it will also allow for larger gatherings and venues such as trade shows, musical performances and more. Having a dedicated and reliable space in order to hold events of this nature will only add to the appeal of the Placer County area, giving more reason for residents to partake in the various events as well as drawing in new crowds to the area.
 
The former Fairgrounds have played an important role in the Placer County area over many years, yet inability to bring the larger draws as well as a general lack of interest in this section of the county has allowed the space to generally fade into the back of the minds of residents and visitors alike. With this new infusion being made by interested parties, it will be interesting to see exactly how far it goes to boosting the level of visibility experienced by the Placer County area. One thing’s for certain though, having a draw of this nature will only benefit the county.
 
One of the downsides of the Placer County area has always been having the awareness of exactly what there is to offer, which can make it difficult to have the capability to fully enjoy the area. By having a centralized place of gathering and events, it not only raises the ability that we have within the city to bring in more attention but also provides us with the capability to host various community events, which always worked to bring neighborhoods together. Whether it’s a tradeshow or other event, seeing everyone from Placer County in one spot is always great.
 
Whatever the future brings for this space and the community as a whole, seeing those come together to provide the necessary funding in order to better the area is always beneficial to the Placer County region. We look forward to seeing all the potential that this development raises, seeing our younger generation have a space in which to hone their skills, both sport and social and to see the members of the community come together in order to give back to the area. We look forward to seeing faces new and old across The Grounds in the future. 

We are already aware of the high cost of living in the state of California yet continue to see pockets of affordability across the region, giving hope to first-time homebuyers and those looking to move into the world of homeownership. One place in the state though that is seen continually developing trends that are hostile to this notion is the Placer County area. It may come off as a negative thing to say, but if we’re going to make the market appealing to homebuyers, we need to begin looking at the cost of living.
 
Within the last 10 years, the median cost of a starter home in the Placer County area has risen by almost $100,000 per home. This leaves most options in the County sitting close to a quarter million each. Though this may not seem like much for those who are already established in homeownership, for those looking to buy their first home or to upgrade from apartment living, this can be a highly daunting numerical figure to face and one that may just send them back to condominium or apartment living for the foreseeable future.
 
This is a detriment for a number of reasons. Firstly, it makes the area less attractive for younger families and first-time homeowners to turn to the Placer County area as the space in which to begin their lives and secondly, the rising cost of homeownership in the Placer County area also affects our capability to draw in business, as often the community is a deciding factor when business owners are looking for a place to set up shop or to expand. Without being able to properly address the situation, we may see more long-term homeownership in the region, which has its own ups and downs.
 
Having community members who choose to call the Placer County area home over the course of decades is always a great foundation to have but it also takes being able to draw in new individuals from all walks of life to allow diversification as well as to expand on the demographics we have area in order to make the Placer County area more appealing to businesses of all sizes and types. By being able to present affordable options to prospective homebuyers, we not only ensure that their futures are secured by that we are also benefiting our own.
 
It can be difficult to come up with the exact solution to situations of this nature. It’s not like we can just magically wave a wand and shed thousands of dollars from the cost of homes in the area. But in order to make the region more attractive, we do have to begin to seriously look at our capability to open our communities to newer members and in order to do so have to ensure that we have the means to allow them to set their own roots. Whatever the future brings, we hope that it’s one of inclusion and possibility.