State Fairgrounds

[Edgar]

were they mutually exclusive?

[Jeepnokc]

right, wasn't an expense and gave the guys who bust stones in the shop all week fixing our cars a place to race on Friday night- the people's fairgrounds.

How was it not an expense? My understanding was that there was significant hazards with the electricity and other maintenance issues? It needed $400,000 in immediate electrical repairs alone. Every building is an expense whether it is electricity, plumbing, water etc. I know the few times I had been there....it was in need of serious help. It wasn't ADA compliant either. The racing promoter paid $40k a year to lease it which I can't believe would put a dent into the needed repairs.

[Pete]

I believe the plan is to use the old speedway area for the fair midway once they start construction on the new Expo building.

[soonerguru]

Edgar doesn't add much to the conversation.

[Bill Robertson]

Like Jeepnokc said, any structure is an expense. Utilities, maintenance and repairs have a cost. I used to do some contract electrical work at the Fairgrounds from time to time and I have to agree that the speedway electrical system was a disaster. Also, the deadline for public buildings meeting ADA compliance was approaching. that would have meant an elevator, restroom renovations and other changes. I loved the track but it just wasn't financially feasible to keep it.

The races weren't what they used to be either. In the 60s & 70s a regular Friday night was 30 Super Modifieds and 40 Modifieds. During the 80s & early 90s it dropped to 25 Sprint cars and 30 Modifieds. Street stocks had been added and they drew probably 50 cars. By the end there were nights that 10 to 15 Sprints, 10 to 15 Limited Sprints and 30 street stocks was normal. Those car counts meant 2 heats and an A Feature each for the Sprints and Limited Sprints and 4 heats, a B and an A Feature for the street stocks. Not that much of a show. Building and running a car is expensive and it became too much for a lot of guys.

[catch22]

If it was a true money maker, a replacement would have been built. Either by the city or a private venture. Obviously not worth the investment to even maintain the building....I watched races there a few times. Sometimes it's okay to just let things go. I understand the nostalgia of the fair. Loved the monorail, loved riding the space needle, love the bubble roofed building. I miss those things, but if they are money pits and only used a few times a year and produce no income, they are a waste of taxpayer dollars.

[hoya]

I would support putting in new attractions like that to improve the fair. Not necessarily a new monorail, but something new and different to make the fair more than just heart attack food and bad carnival rides.

[Edgar]

How was it not an expense? My understanding was that there was significant hazards with the electricity and other maintenance issues? It needed $400,000 in immediate electrical repairs alone. Every building is an expense whether it is electricity, plumbing, water etc. I know the few times I had been there....it was in need of serious help. It wasn't ADA compliant either. The racing promoter paid $40k a year to lease it which I can't believe would put a dent into the needed repairs.

bs, the track had ramps leading to the seating area. Often saw dsiabled citizens taking in the races.
The powers wanted it gone for whatever reason. Electricians offered to do the work gratis and were rebuffed.

[Edgar]

Like Jeepnokc said, any structure is an expense. Utilities, maintenance and repairs have a cost. I used to do some contract electrical work at the Fairgrounds from time to time and I have to agree that the speedway electrical system was a disaster. Also, the deadline for public buildings meeting ADA compliance was approaching. that would have meant an elevator, restroom renovations and other changes. I loved the track but it just wasn't financially feasible to keep it.

The races weren't what they used to be either. In the 60s & 70s a regular Friday night was 30 Super Modifieds and 40 Modifieds. During the 80s & early 90s it dropped to 25 Sprint cars and 30 Modifieds. Street stocks had been added and they drew probably 50 cars. By the end there were nights that 10 to 15 Sprints, 10 to 15 Limited Sprints and 30 street stocks was normal. Those car counts meant 2 heats and an A Feature each for the Sprints and Limited Sprints and 4 heats, a B and an A Feature for the street stocks. Not that much of a show. Building and running a car is expensive and it became too much for a lot of guys.

and now we have no motorsports

[Plutonic Panda]

If it was a true money maker, a replacement would have been built. Either by the city or a private venture. Obviously not worth the investment to even maintain the building....I watched races there a few times. Sometimes it's okay to just let things go. I understand the nostalgia of the fair. Loved the monorail, loved riding the space needle, love the bubble roofed building. I miss those things, but if they are money pits and only used a few times a year and produce no income, they are a waste of taxpayer dollars.

I disagree with this. I think it is a lack of ambition and leadership to effectively market these kind of things. I would love to see a motorsport venue here in OKC, preferably a formula 1 racing here. Bring back the monorail and revamp the Space Needle. Not every single thing in the city needs to generate revenue.

[GaryOKC6]

I believe the last figures that I saw on the horse shows were 181 million annually and that was 2 years ago. And those are new dollars to our area. Definitely a plus for the okc economy.

[Urbanized]

The state fair of Texas just ADDED a new space needle. I rode it when down for OU/TX. As much as anything I would support getting it back on line. Modernization of the needle should have been a part of the OK State Fair's MAPs project list.

[kevinpate]

The state fair of Texas just ADDED a new space needle. I rode it when down for OU/TX. As much as anything I would support getting it back on line. Modernization of the needle should have been a part of the OK State Fair's MAPs project list.

If only someone had thought to pitch it as a big league horse therapy device, it just might have been. MapsIV anyone?

[soonerguru]

Somebody has a sad.

[Urbanized]

Elitist.

[Bellaboo]

These elitists?

15 Best Oklahoma State Fair Photos of all Time | The Lost Ogle

This is one of the reasons I haven't been to the fair in years.....Hard to remember when I went last....lol

[Bellaboo]

and people came from all over to race on Friday nights and stayed in hotels and ate in restaurants but the elitists tore down our track because they didn't like their ses status.

Those people that would come to race from all over are from Tulsa and Wichita..... they drive in the day of the race, buy hot dogs at the track, and drive home after the races are over.....not much content to your theory of contributing to the tax base.....also, the race season was for the summer only, and only one day a week at that, the horse and pig shows are year round.....racing was very weak at SFS, plus the ADA issues and cost to correct the infrasturcture was insurmountable..... it had to go...

[ABryant]

What is going on on May East of the fairgrounds. The roads were in good shape, but they have torn up the southbound lane and the median?

[shawnw]

Is that related to the Aztec site on Pershing?

[warreng88]

New roof on tap for Oklahoma City arena

Arena at Oklahoma City’s State Fair Park, known as the “Big House,” will get new roof, documents show

By William Crum
Published: March 13, 2014

The Jim Norick Arena’s roof is a unique design that has had its share of problems in recent years.

On July 27, 2010, a concrete section of the roof fell in, landing in an unoccupied seating area, according to a city manager’s memo dated Dec. 7, 2010.

An investigation found that a part called a “roof tendon coupler” had failed because of corrosion, the memo stated.

Nobody was hurt, but the incident led to stepped-up monitoring of the roof’s condition once repairs were completed.

When it opened in 1965, the arena was described in The Oklahoman as the “largest coliseum-type structure in the Southwest constructed with the longest catenary roof span in the world.”

Read the rest of William's article at: New roof on tap for Oklahoma City arena | News OK

[Pete]

Permit application today to demolish the Travel & Transportation Building and construct the new $45 million Expo Building.

[Urbanized]

R.I.P., TNT. Saw some good shows there once upon a time, including a show by Nirvana and one by Pearl Jam.

[trousers]

I was at that Nirvana show. Didn't see Pearl Jam there. Did get to see Beck.

[ABryant]

My best memory from there was seeing Alice in Chains on their Dirt tour.

[rezman]

I was out there last weekend to check out Buchanan's and the street rods, and noticed that most of the old speedway has been paved over.