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By the Numbers
$368 million: Total tourism revenue in Clark County in 2013, about half of which could be tied to the fairgrounds and Champions Center.
200 acres: Approximate size of the Clark County Fairgrounds.
70 acres: Size of new possible site for the Montgomery County Fairgrounds if it moves to Brookville
Clark County leaders are concerned the fairgrounds will face increased competition from the Montgomery County Fairgrounds if it relocates, especially for smaller shows.
So Clark County Convention Facilities Authority Interim President John Maurer said officials are considering doing a marketing study on the Clark County fairgrounds.
“With the construction of the new Montgomery County Fairgrounds … we want to make sure that we have a facility that is better and able to have larger shows and have some ideas on how to market it,” Maurer said.
About half of Clark County’s total tourism revenue of $368 million can be linked to the fairgrounds and Champions Center, based on the most recent data available, said Chris Schutte of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Clark County also wants to be competitive with the state fairgrounds, Fair Board President Jay Flax said.
“The quarter horse congress is at the state fairgrounds,” he said. “We at the Champion Center have several of those districts. If we had more up-to-date buildings on our part for those big shows then we could work together where it works for both of us.”
Funding to move the Montgomery County Fairgrounds from its current site on South Main Street in Dayton to the Northbrook Industrial Park in Brookville off Interstate 70 has been included in versions of the proposed state budget.
The new Montgomery County site, which is expected to be about 70 acres, could compete with the Clark County Fairgrounds for smaller shows. The Clark County site has more than 200 acres.
“The Cars and Parts show, the huge flea market, we’re not at risk of really losing that because we have one of the only facilities that can host it. But there’s a lot of smaller shows at the fairgrounds throughout the year that would rent one or two buildings,” Maurer said. “That’s what concerns us, making sure we keep the facilities up so we don’t lose those to Montgomery County.”
The newer Champions Center, which focuses on horse and other livestock shows, isn’t expected to be impacted by the new Montgomery County Fairgrounds site, Maurer said.
The Springfield News-Sun obtained from the CFA a proposed draft of a master plan of possible construction projects at the fairgrounds that was completed about 10 years ago.
The draft shows multiple phases of renovations and development at the fairgrounds, including a new entrance, multipurpose facilities, grandstand and track, plus improvements to parking, the midway and service drives.
“This is all pie in the sky, our dream. If somebody would hand us $100 million, this is what we would do or something very close to this. It’s a long way from having the funding. A long way,” Maurer said.
Officials have accomplished some of the goals on the master plan, such as purchasing an adjacent, 186-acre property that’s a former gravel pit and covered largely by a lake from the city for $1 in 2012.
The Clark County Auditor’s Office had appraised the property at more than $1.29 million.
Fairgrounds officials asked Clark County commissioners in December for more than $530,000 to pay for safety and pavement improvements to the fairgrounds. Of that, commissioners have so far approved funding for more than $200,000 to redo asphalt at the fairgrounds, which hasn’t had any major pavement work done on the property in 17 years.
Last year, Clark County Fair officials also made $181,000 in improvements to the fairgrounds. That project added 73 new campsites and updated about 90 others after Springfield Twp. Fire Chief John Roeder deemed the camping area a fire hazard and recommended multiple changes.
A new maintenance facility was also built to store fair equipment and tables.
Clark County Fair officials said if a marketing study is done it could determine if new development is needed at the fairgrounds.
Officials would like to update fairground exhibit facilities that are used for livestock, Flax said, and establish an air conditioned multipurpose building that can be used for trade shows and other non-livestock shows.
“It gets real hot. We have basically no air conditioned space. The Champions Center has an air-conditioned banquet room, but nothing air conditioned that you can use for exhibit space. It gets awful hot in those little concrete buildings. So we would like to have updates where it’s usable year-round,” Flax said.
Many of the buildings were constructed in the 1950s and have leaks, he said.
Allan Hess, executive director of the Clark County Fair, agreed that a new Montgomery County site will cause competition. That fair’s new location off the interstate and its size could cause the fairgrounds to go for the same events, he said.
The marketing study would be key to determining what upgrades are needed, Hess said, and whether new buildings need to be constructed or if current facilities should be renovated.
Major shows such as the car parts and antique extravaganzas at the fairgrounds have spent years advertising those events at the Clark County site, Hess said, and it would be challenging for them to relocate.
“But that doesn’t mean that couldn’t happen and we don’t want it to happen. We want those events to stay here and those revenues and all the economic impact that it has on the community to stay right here. So we’re looking to see what it would take and what makes sense for us to stay competitive,” Hess said.
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