May 25—GRAND FORKS — As it prepares to construct a new juvenile detention facility, the Grand Forks County Commission is pursuing a lease extension with the Greater Grand Forks Fair and River Cities Speedway on land adjacent to the facility's proposed site.

The decision was made at a special commission meeting on Wednesday.

Commissioners scheduled the special meeting on May 16 after Tom Ford, county director of administration, expressed the need to address the impact of the proposed county juvenile detention center on the aforementioned parties.

"We want to mitigate any potential negative impacts this project will have on the races, and on the Grand Forks County Fair, and work through any concerns they may have," Ford said at the May 16 County Commission meeting.

Ford said State's Attorney Haley Wamstad is in the process of drafting a lease extension with the two parties. According to Ford, it will be presented at the next County Commission meeting on Tuesday, June 6, where the fair and speedway will decide whether to accept or reject the lease.

Ford also said the lease extension will address the two parties' chief concerns — accessibility to the venues via county roads and parking space.