'Third time's the charm': State creates plan to potentially move state fair site

Expo New Mexico will find a new location for the State Fair within the next few years, and the 236 acres it now occupies will become the location for new homes, according to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

During an announcement Tuesday from the governor and state officials, Lujan Grisham announced that a request for proposal will be sent out by the State Fair Commission to bring the ambitious endeavor of moving Expo New Mexico from 300 San Pedro NE and developing the vacated space for affordable, multi-use housing.

The $500,000 RFP will begin on Wednesday and last for 45 days. New Mexico lawmakers appropriated $500,000 in capital outlay funding to develop the master plan, according to the Governor’s Office.

“Those who have attended the fair recognize that we have outgrown the facilities and property here,” said Commission Chair Eric Serna at a news conference at Expo New Mexico. “It’s time to look at the growth of this fair to continue to be the best fair in the country, and under the governor’s leadership and commission, we will move forward and seek the best possible options for the growth of our fair.”

According to Lujan Grisham, roughly 55,000 homes are needed in Albuquerque within the next 10 years to accommodate the growing community, and Expo New Mexico grounds may help resolve that need. Lawmakers also believe renovation to the surrounding area and neighborhoods would lower crime in the area and give the community economic development, including new pharmacies and grocery stores.

In recent years, several grocery and drugstores have closed in the area, leading to complaints about the International District potentially becoming a food and medicine desert.

The fairgrounds site is state property, and state, county and city officials must partner for any project regarding the State Fair.

Law officials have varying ideas on the next location for Expo New Mexico. Lujan Grisham proposed placing the fair in the South Valley or a rural area like Edgewood to increase economic development in those areas while also providing space for the fair itself. Concerns around accessibility will factor into the final decision.

“We have made the decision preliminarily to ask for folks to focus on the center of the state ... but there are a lot of spaces,” she said. “Even though Albuquerque is a bit constrained, there are still plenty of opportunities in Bernalillo County.”

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller on Tuesday discussed his Expo New Mexico wish list, including keeping the fairgrounds in Albuquerque. Keller listed the Balloon Fiesta grounds, Mesa del Sol and West Side spaces as potential locations.

“Third time’s the charm, and I think we’re going to do this right,” Keller said, referring to previous attempts to move and repurpose Expo New Mexico’s location.

Though Expo New Mexico is getting ready to pack its bags and move, New Mexicans can expect to spend next year’s State Fair at the San Pedro location, potentially for the last time. No tentative dates have been set for breaking ground at a new location.

“I’d like to see by the end of Legislature a sense about what’s coming in,” Lujan Grisham said, referring to the legislative session that will begin in January. “I don’t expect that breaking ground will occur significantly in a way that would interrupt the fair later on.”