A look at the cost to keep, move Utah State Fair

A look at the cost to keep, move Utah State Fair

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Fair is a favorite pastime for many Utah families, but now the future of the fair is at risk. And officials say it’s all because of money and disrepair.

“Currently the state fair, mostly the fairgrounds, are in need of maintenance and upgrading. It’s suffering from lots of years of neglect,” said Vicki Schoenfeld from the Division of Facilities Construction and Management.

The State Building Board recently released a study outlining several options for the future of the fair and the cost of each of the options.

To keep the fair running as is, the cost is roughly $33 million. Currently, the fair makes little to no profit.

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To upgrade the fair at its current downtown location would cost $47 million.

To move the fair to a more rural site and rebuild would cost $160 million.

To sell the land, possibly for retail or office space, the state would make about $18 million.

Mike Steele, the director of the Utah State Fair Corp., says the cost to move the fair would be “staggering,” and that the fair should stay at its current location.

The money would come from taxes, but officials say it’s unlikely taxes would be raised to accommodate. The money would just be diverted from other channels and put towards the fair instead.

While the State Building Board presented the study, it said it remains neutral on the outcome for the fair. That’s up to the government.

“It will be up to the Legislature, so if you feel strongly, contact your legislators. Ultimately what it comes down to is if they want a state fair then they’ve got to put some money into it,” said Schoenfeld.

The session to decide the fate of the state fair is scheduled for July 16.


You can contact Madeleine Richards on Twitter at @MRoseRichards or by email at mrose.richards@gmail.com

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