I attended the presentation last night of the Phase I study by consultants studying the fairgrounds. Phase I is the portion of the study that proposes keeping a fairgrounds. Only about thirty people attended the event.
Several options were presented for keeping the fairgrounds, one being basically doing no more than a little repair to what is there, an option of upgrading the fair both with and without a racetrack and an option for moving the fairgrounds to an undermined site somewhere in the rural parts of the county, both with and without a fairgrounds.
The consultants said the fair site is much too small to have a really great state fair and expo center. They said one feature we were lacking that is a part of most fairgrounds is an equestrian and animal feature for such things as horse shows and rodeos and the like. Our fair is one of the least attended of any state fair in the country and our exhibition space is poorly designed and is too small for what we need, if we are going to have an expo center. Also, we have very, very few RV hookups, which we need, especially if we move into the area of having the equestrian feature. Only one other fairgrounds has a racetrack. The racetrack is probably not suitable for NASCAR racing and it is doubtful we will get NASCAR back at the racetrack they implied.
To redevelop the site and keep the racetrack would cost about $150 million dollars they said. To read the Tennessean's report on the presentation, follow this link.
The next presentation will be the Phase II study which presents what could develop on the site if the fairgrounds is abandoned and the site turned into a mixed use development.
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