State Fairgrounds board adopts preliminary $67.4 million redevelopment plan

SANTA FE — A proposed redevelopment of the State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque is starting to come into clearer focus, after approval of a $67.4 million infrastructure plan.

The predevelopment plan includes building a new 10-acre park and pedestrian-friendly upgrades but does not take a stance on a key issue — whether the state fair will remain at its current location.

However, it does call for the elimination of a parking lot with roughly 1,500 spaces that’s typically used by fair attendees, along with the demolition of some existing structures.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the unanimous vote of the State Fairgrounds District Board, a fledgling seven-member body she is a member of, shows broad support for revitalizing both the fairgrounds and the surrounding neighborhood.

“I look forward to continued community discussion and work on this vitally important project,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

A state agency in June entered into an $850,000 contract with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. to create a master plan for repurposing the 236-acre tract of land that has hosted the annual State Fair since 1938.

The master plan is expected to be completed by next spring. Once approved, work on the project could then begin next year and be completed by fall 2029, according to the Governor’s Office.

The firm contracted to develop the master plan presented three different concepts this week that focus on redevelopment plans for a 49-acre tract in the southwest corner of the State Fairgrounds — along Central Avenue and San Pedro Drive. That includes a 14-acre parcel of land the State Fairgrounds District Board voted to purchase for $22.3 million in September.

Two of the conceptual designs for the area feature a new sports stadium or arena, along with new park areas. Other proposed options include a mixed-use commercial center, a cultural arts facility and a new hotel.

Former Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, who’s leading the redevelopment effort at the governor’s request, said such projects could be “catalytic” for the surrounding area.

“That’s really what this is about — changing the trajectory for this part of Albuquerque,” Chávez said in a Friday interview.

Meanwhile, the money to pay for the infrastructure improvements would come from bonds backed by future gross receipts tax revenue. A bill approved during this year’s 60-day legislation session created the new State Fairgrounds District and empowered the governmental subdivision to issue up to $500 million in bonds.

The concept of overhauling the State Fairgrounds has been occasionally floated over the last several decades. It was reignited last year when Lujan Grisham announced plans to convert the fairgrounds into a mixed-use development with affordable housing and potentially relocate the State Fair.

However, the idea of moving the state fair has been met with opposition from some residents of Albuquerque’s International District, which has dealt with rising drug use and homelessness in recent years. The area also has one of the nation’s highest pedestrian death rates.

In addition, all six candidates running for Albuquerque mayor expressed opposition to the idea of relocating the state fair during a roundtable event last month.

The ultimate decision on whether the state fair stays or goes will be made not by the State Fairgrounds District Board, but by members of the State Fair Commission.