HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - A proposed master plan for the Kansas State Fairgrounds would replace the century-old racetrack with a new horse exhibition area and practice arena in an effort to modernize the fair and generate revenue, Fair Manager Susan Sankey said.
The board heard details of the plan this week, an early step in a long process before the plan is approved, The Hutchinson News reported (https://bit.ly/2oq1MMg ).
Sankey acknowledged that removing the track will be unpopular with some groups, particularly racetrack drivers and horse race enthusiasts.
“But from a fair standpoint, these are business decisions on how we move ahead, on how we generate revenue and what the needs really are for the majority of the population,” she said.
Fair Board President Tom Tunnell said the racetrack isn’t used during the fair and is rented by a third party a few times a year.
Architect Chip Overton, with Keffer/Overton Associates, presented the proposal to the board. It would keep the late 1920s-era grandstand but would include a permanent stage for entertainment and a new dirt area for demolition derbies and tractor pulls.
A facility with more than 600 horse stalls would be built across from the proposed horse exhibition area, Overton said.
One of the top priorities is the current horse facility, which has water damage and other structural issues. It is the most used part of the fairgrounds during the offseason and has potential to bring in more revenue if it is upgraded, said board member Angie Clark.
Overton said the next step for board members is to choose plan priorities and set a timetable for completion.
Another main issue is how to pay for any improvements, with board members not expecting any more funds from the state. The board could use tax increment financing, which would allow the fair to collect the sales tax it generates during the year and use it to improve the grounds. Sankey said she would ask someone from the state discuss the TIF program at a board retreat in May.
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Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News, https://www.hutchnews.com
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