State green lights $90M for Fairgrounds redevelopment

The state has formally approved more than $90 million to redevelop the State Fairgrounds into housing and other amenities.

The State Board of Finance gave the final green light Tuesday, several months after the State Fair District Board, one of the primary decision-making bodies for the 236-acre parcel in Albuquerque, voted to allocate state funds. 

Despite this eight-figure commitment, the decision on whether the annual State Fair will move is still up in the air.

Last week, the state’s design contractor, Stantec Consulting Services Inc., announced three preliminary designs, two of which kept the fair in its historic home. The third design, however, was the most ambitious, implementing larger-scale amenities and relocating the fair.

Regardless of which option the state ultimately picks, there are some givens. All three designs include parks, a hotel, an event venue, mixed-income housing and retail space. 

The freshly allocated $90 million will pave the way for those amenities, according to a state news release.

“We’re investing in the center of our largest city to create a destination every New Mexican can be proud of,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a Tuesday statement. “This is about building community spaces that reflect the best of what we can do when we invest in the places that matter most.”

But not everyone agrees with the governor's sentiments.

Many local residents have expressed concerns about the redevelopment in public meetings. 

Some feared gentrification in the surrounding neighborhood, while others lamented the high price tag or pulled on childhood nostalgia surrounding the fair.

The State Fair District Board is expected to make a final decision on the fairgrounds' future sometime in the new year.  

Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com or on Twitter @G_Barkhurst