State Fairgrounds

[shawnw]

Sent out today...

Council approves preliminary report for the MAPS 3 State Fair Park expo building

[Pete]

Here is an animation of the new Expo building:

[rte66man]

Its pretty much a bigger version of the travel and transportation building AFTER they removed the air roof. Not as exciting as the preliminary designs. Hope this isn't a sign for things to come with the Convention Center.

It is FREAKING UGLY on the outside. I am very disappointed with what our $54 million is getting us.

[HangryHippo]

It is FREAKING UGLY on the outside. I am very disappointed with what our $54 million is getting us.

Agreed.

[Pete]

Certainly looks like a lot of plain metal for $54 million, especially since the site just needs to be scraped without considerable expense.

And of course, it doesn't include parking or other surrounding infrastructure.

[SoonerDave]

It is FREAKING UGLY on the outside. I am very disappointed with what our $54 million is getting us.

Couldn't have said it better. What happened to the renderings of the buildings that were, at one point, going in where the racetrack was razed? Am I nuts, or was there not a plan to put three multipurpose buildings there at one point? This thing is awful.

[BDP]

I guess I am missing something. Looking at the maps, I can't see how this building will do anything to harm the fair. IMO, there is so much wasted space on the fairgrounds, even with the new buildings buildings, that any permanent improvements in infrastructure are welcome. I could be reading it wrong, but looking at the maps, it seems like you could build a few of these things and they'd still have enough space to increase the size of the fair's midway if they wanted to. It's a huge swath of land in the middle of the city, a lot of which is still not even paved.

I agree it seems a little pricey from the renderings, but I can't imagine expecting much in the first place. It seems to me that if there is anywhere in the city where function should rule the day, it's the fairgrounds. Of course, you don't want to overpay for utilitarian design, but I don't mind utilitarian when it comes to the state fair. I don't even mind if it looks like a horse barn, because, well, at the fair grounds, more horse barns = serious revenue.

[Edgar]

Turn my head when I pass the fairgrounds now. It's too heartbreaking- the monorail, the speedway, the extravaganza that used to be the state fair. It's an elitist playground now, no longer the people's fairground. Why does my 81 years mom have to fund their elitist projects? rem when the deed done to the historic sfs(who paid for that?maps3?)in Mick's solemn smarmy announcement he promised to fill the motorsports void quick time- still waiting. Mick later bragged about having the money to do it so quickly like it was some great civic accomplishment.

[BDP]

Turn my head when I pass the fairgrounds now. It's too heartbreaking- the monorail, the speedway, the extravaganza that used to be the state fair. It's an elitist playground now, no longer the people's fairground. Why does my 81 years mom have to fund their elitist projects? rem when the deed done to the historic sfs(who paid for that?maps3?)in Mick's solemn smarmy announcement he promised to fill the motorsports void quick time- still waiting. Mick later bragged about having the money to do it so quickly like it was some great civic accomplishment.

I went to the fair this year. Didn't seem like an elitist playground to me. Then again, I don't seem to have these elaborate memories of the fair. It's always been a midway, some rides, fried foods, and a few shows, right? All basically set up in a parking lot and some very pedestrian buildings. It was never as nice as Texas's fair, but their's also seems like overkill to me.

Why does my 81 years mom have to fund their elitist projects?

I think the thinking has just been that the fairgrounds could have a much better ROI than it did in past. I would think any tax payer would appreciate that. Of course, maybe some feel the fairgrounds is supposed to be a subsidized entity with its focus on access and not revenue generation. Again, it always seemed to me that the fairgrounds were for a long time a large waste of public space for a relatively underwhelming event. I certainly would never want to see the fair go away, but I still don't see how these infrastructure projects present an inherent threat to the fair. Hopefully, they will give a return that justifies making the facilities better, which can only help the fair, right?

[warreng88]

Why does my 81 years mom have to fund their elitist projects?

Why do I have to pay for your 81 year old mom's social security? I do it and I don't complain about it but I also don't really have a choice. If she doesn't want to "fund their elitist projects" she doesn't have to. She can just shop outside of the OKC city limits. That is how the MAPS tax works. How much do you think your 81 year old mom is paying in sales tax into this or any of the other projects? $10, $12/year?

[shawnw]

If this is what we get for $54M at the fairgrounds (e.g. cheaper land), imagine what we get for $250M downtown (e.g. more expensive land)!

[Dubya61]

Hopefully, FSB and Populous didn't have their star players on that project, eh?

[Rover]

$54 Million for JUST this building?

[Pete]

$54 Million for JUST this building?

MAPS 3 State Fairgrounds Improvements

The project is guided by the State Fair Park Master Plan and will include parking and site improvements and a new expo building. The current budget will allow for approximately 303,000 gross square feet of space, which reflects approximately 227,000 usable square feet of space.

The project will be completed in two phases to include:

Phase 1 – Parking and site improvements
Phase 2 – New expo building

Budget:
Fairgrounds Phase 1 - Parking & Site Improvements Site Prep $226,000
Fairgrounds Phase 1 - Parking & Site Improvements A&E/Design/Testing/Admin $587,000
Fairgrounds Phase 1 - Parking & Site Improvements Construction and FF&E $3,684,000
Fairgrounds Phase 1 - Parking & Site Improvements Project Contingency $219,000
Fairgrounds Phase 2 - New Expo Building Site Prep $238,000
Fairgrounds Phase 2 - New Expo Building A&E/Design/Testing/Admin $6,553,000
Fairgrounds Phase 2 - New Expo Building Construction and FF&E $44,537,000
Fairgrounds Phase 2 - New Expo Building Project Contingency $2,646,000

Total $58,690,000

[Edgar]

Why do I have to pay for your 81 year old mom's social security? I do it and I don't complain about it but I also don't really have a choice. If she doesn't want to "fund their elitist projects" she doesn't have to. She can just shop outside of the OKC city limits. That is how the MAPS tax works. How much do you think your 81 year old mom is paying in sales tax into this or any of the other projects? $10, $12/year?

SS a scheme we all pay into for the good of the commonwealth- the money spent on the fairgrounds will enhance the lives of a small group of elites.

[Bellaboo]

SS a scheme we all pay into for the good of the commonwealth- the money spent on the fairgrounds will enhance the lives of a small group of elites.

Edgar,
You rant more about a small group of eletist more than I've ever heard before. Not sure where your coming from here, not sure where any small group is benefitting. The facility and proceeds are all about the city. I really don't know the inner workings, but i'm sure there are audits that would basically expose any wrong doings going on.....relax, Ed is NOT the answer here....

81 year old mom ? Last spring you posted that you weren't old enough to vote ????

[adaniel]

81 year old mom ? Last spring you posted that you weren't old enough to vote ????

You don't think some 60 year olds can get down

I will say the notion that the state fair is "for elites" nothing short of laughable. I mean, have you actually been to the state fair? Not what I would consider the Nichols Hills or Gaillardia set.

If anything, horse shows at Fair Park bring in a TON of money for this area. I would have never guessed it as I am probably the last person you'd see at one. But a lot of these people come in from around the country (but especially TX and CA), fill up hotels and eat at restaurants along Meridian, and frequent the equestrian and western stores in Stockyards City.

[rte66man]

I will say the notion that the state fair is "for elites" nothing short of laughable. I mean, have you actually been to the state fair? Not what I would consider the Nichols Hills or Gaillardia set.

If anything, horse shows at Fair Park bring in a TON of money for this area. I would have never guessed it as I am probably the last person you'd see at one. But a lot of these people come in from around the country (but especially TX and CA), fill up hotels and eat at restaurants along Meridian, and frequent the equestrian and western stores in Stockyards City.

Too true on both counts. My inlaws come down once a year for 2 weeks just to go to one of the horse shows. They spend big bucks while here.

[warreng88]

SS a scheme we all pay into for the good of the commonwealth- the money spent on the fairgrounds will enhance the lives of a small group of elites.

Right, all those elites who sell horses, cattle, etc, run small businesses (trade show booths), hotels and restaurants that the visitors from out of town go to. Those elites... I forgot about them.

[SoonerDave]

.... It's an elitist playground now, no longer the people's fairground. Why does my 81 years mom have to fund their elitist projects? rem when the deed done to the historic sfs(who paid for that?maps3?)in Mick's solemn smarmy announcement he promised to fill the motorsports void quick time- still waiting. Mick later bragged about having the money to do it so quickly like it was some great civic accomplishment.

Geez, Shadid, I'm no fan of what's being done to the fairgrounds, but MAN your rhetoric gets old. Are your really that bored?

Or did they run out of envelope lickers in the back of the Subway where you run your campaign?

[Bill Robertson]

The exhibition buildings look to me to be used mainly for gun shows, motorcycle swap meets, Affair of the Heart, spring auto show, SW Street Rod shows. Hardly a small, elite group attending these types of events as I see it.

[OKVision4U]

OK, we just had a Bait & Switch. ...and I'm not talking about Obama and his healthcare promise of "keeping your current plan" and then saying I"m sorry, sorta.

Who was the group that gave us the really nice rendering w/ a nice event center? That was worth having. This, not so much. Do we really need more metal buildings in Oklahoma? ...can't we use another form of design? FSB...??? Let's reach down and hit the Obama I'm Sorry Button, and get us that Event Center worth having like we were promised.

[shawnw]

If it were only for elites, would any of us be using it? I think not. :-P

[RadicalModerate]

The exhibition buildings look to me to be used mainly for gun shows, motorcycle swap meets, Affair of the Heart, spring auto show, SW Street Rod shows. Hardly a small, elite group attending these types of events as I see it.

Apparently, you haven't yet seen the renderings of the proposed Dress Code.
(if you don't have a receipt from Hans Hermann or Mr. Ooley you will be, like, persona non grata 'r sumpin')

[TechArch]

Populous did the design for the building. FSB is doing the construction documents. The building promised in the MAPS 3 renderings was way too pricey.