Can radio host KC Ingram jump-start long-discussed plans for the Treasure Coast Agriplex?

On its website, the Treasure Coast Agriplex is billed as "the biggest thing to happen to Martin County this century!"

The only problem: It hasn't happened yet. And, after years of languishing in the planning stages, even some of the project's supporters have questioned whether it will ever become a reality.

Ed Ciampi, chairman of the Martin County Commission, said the Agriplex may be weighed down a bit by lofty expectations.

"The vision kept getting grander and grander," Ciampi said.

Jay Spicer, the Martin County Fair Association's former executive director, tried to bring that vision to life, but wasn't able to raise enough funding to get the Agriplex past the seedling stage.

Now Spicer has moved into the executive director's job at the St. Lucie County Fair Association ― and the Martin County Fair board has hired radio talk show host Kasey Ingram Mullen to take his place.

Mullen, known for hosting the KC Ingram Show Wednesday mornings on WSTU AM 1450, said getting the Agricenter operational at a site next to the new Indiantown High School is job one for her.

"That is the top priority," Mullen said. "Our goal is to move out there by 2025."

So what's an Agriplex? Well, it would be the new home for the Martin County Fair, an annual event that's traditionally held on 11 acres at 2616 SE Dixie Highway in Stuart.

But the Agriplex would be so much more than that. According to a slick animation on the fair's website, the Agriplex would include a 2,500-seat amphitheater, with capacity to seat 5,000 more on the surrounding lawn, that could be used for concerts, sporting events and other forms of entertainment.

There would be a historical village, with an agricultural museum and an area dedicated to model railroad enthusiasts. There would be "Ag-Land Farm," an area showcasing the very latest in agricultural techniques, such as urban farming and vertical farming.

There would also be equestrian and livestock pavilions, an archery range, a BMX motocross course and probably several other features I'm forgetting to mention.

If Mullen and her cohorts at the fair association are successful, the Agriplex could help Martin County on several different fronts.

It would bring new jobs and economic opportunities to Indiantown, which is a pressing need.

Interim Village Manager Taryn Kryzda says 86% of Indiantown's revenue comes from taxes on tangible property, with equipment stored by Florida Power & Light accounting for the bulk of that. If FPL ever decided to relocate most or all of that equipment to another community, then Indiantown could face a serious financial hardship.

Hence, the need to broaden the tax base.

The Agriplex could also provide entertainment options for those living in the region.

Also, relocating the fairgrounds from its current site could free up the county-owned property near downtown Stuart for other uses. (More on that in a minute, because there's some irony involved here.)

All of which has thrust Mullen into the spotlight as the project's new torchbearer.

Chester Edwards, the fair association's president, said after Spicer's departure, which was of his own accord, Mullen dazzled board members during her job interview. With her community contacts and media background, Edwards said she was an obvious choice to replace Spicer.

"It was a unanimous decision," Edwards said. "She knocked our socks off. She just impressed everyone so much."

Ciampi also thinks the board made a good choice.

"She's a very smart person," Ciampi said. "She's very articulate and well organized. "It will be interesting to see what she plans to do."

In my interview with her Monday, her first day on the job, Mullen wasn't ready to talk about a specific fundraising strategy. However, she spoke in general terms about broadening the network of community support behind the project.

"We need to widen the scope of our resources," she said.

In addition to hosting her radio show, Mullen was the communications director and special events manager for the Meridian Marina & Yacht Club in Palm City for about seven years.

Prior to moving to South Florida in 2009, she lived and worked in Michigan, including more than a decade as general manager of a horse racing stable.

Mullen said she grew up in a small community in Michigan, where she developed a love for animals and agriculture. As society becomes more urbanized, she said people shouldn't lose touch with the essential role farming plays in our survival.

"Our agricultural and rural heritage is something we should never lose," she said.

Mullen has served on the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and been an advocate for community causes, including reducing Lake Okeechobee pollution and fighting against Brightline's plans to extend passenger service through the Treasure Coast.

Ironically, if the fairgrounds relocates to Indiantown, Ciampi mentioned a Brightline stop as one of the possible uses for the current site. However, that's not the only option.

Ciampi said the current location could become a site for affordable housing or some other development.

All of that presupposes the Agriplex project actually gets out of the ground at the Indiantown location.

On her radio talk show website, Mullen said one of her goals is "to help facilitate compromise and understanding." In trying to bring together all the stakeholders she'll need to accomplish her new mission, she will have to do just that.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at bfontenay@gannett.com or at 772-232-5424.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Treasure County Agriplex is new fair director KC Ingram's top priority