What's Fair for the Fair?

The Agriculture Committee continues to devote a great deal of time and effort to answer the question, "Should the State Fair move?" While that question remains unanswered, a number of legislative bills have been introduced to provide possible answers during this session.

On February 26th, the Agriculture Committee held a public hearing on five legislative bills. LB 861 and LB 1116 remove the specific location of the State Fair from statute to allow the Fair Board to negotiate and determine the location of the Fair. LB 1116 also requires that the University or another state agency pay $30 million or appraised value, whichever is greater, for State Fair Park if the Fair is moved. LB 1044 requires the Fair to move, gives State Fair Park to the University, and creates a commission to determine where to locate the Fair. LB 1115 replaces the Chancellor of the University and the Director of the Arts Council with a 4-H and FFA representative on the State Fair Board. LB 1114 requires a vote of the people before a county ag society or fair board could issue general obligation bonds to finance fairground improvements.

Grand Island, Friends of Innovation Campus (a coalition working to relocate the Fair to another site in Lincoln), and the State Fair Board made formal presentations at the hearing and gave an update on their progress since December. The Fair Board's plan to renovate State Fair Park would cost approximately $30 million and would be completed over a 10-15 year period. The Fair Board has some reserve funds available and also estimates having $500,000 to $750,000 annually to finance improvements at the current site. This does not include any contributions from the State Fair Foundation. Grand Island officials presented a $50 million plan to relocate the Fair to Grand Island anticipating the use of both private and public funds. Finally the plan presented to relocate the Fair to the Lancaster County Fairgrounds on 84th Street in Lincoln is nearly $100 million. Even with a substantial investment of private funds from Lincoln, nearly $60 million is still needed to complete the funding package for this alternative. Most of the 84th Street site is within a 100-year flood plain and/or floodway. This results in restrictions on the use of the location that would make the cost to relocate there higher, if it would even be possible. Finally, we learned what it may cost the University to develop State Fair Park into a Research Campus. It is estimated it will cost the state $45-60 million to pay for future maintenance of public buildings that would be built on that site by the University.

All possibilities, including the fair remaining at its present location, present exciting opportunities, but also present risks and possible costs for Nebraskans down the road. Although the State Fair Board's preference is to remain at State Fair Park, its home since 1901, the Board is willing to consider relocation, if the money to relocate is available and an alternative site provides an opportunity for success.

Unfortunately, continued speculation and uncertainty about the location of the State Fair impairs planning and progress not only of the Fair Board but other venues that are affected by that potential. Neither the State Fair Board nor the Legislature has conceded that relocation is inevitable. At the same time, I have not committed to any particular resolution of where the State Fair should be either. Nevertheless, I believe it imperative that the Legislature provide an answer to this question this session.

What do you think? Should the State Fair be moved? Let me know by contacting me, toll free at 1-866-800-7445, by mail at: State Capitol, District 47, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or by email at perdman@leg.ne.gov.