The New Mexico State Board of Finance has greenlit a $67 million bond for the State Fair District Board in Albuquerque to develop the 236-acre EXPO New Mexico/State Fairgrounds site. Combined with the additional $22.35 million bond approved for land acquisition in early December, the total bond funding comes to approximately $90 million, rounding out the District Board’s predevelopment plan for the Fairgrounds. Construction for early infrastructure is anticipated to begin in 2026.
The Fairgrounds Reimagined project is an ambitious plan to develop a year-round public amenity with parks and community spaces. With $90 million on the books, the district board will be able to finalize a comprehensive master plan for the renovation – a process that the state began in July. While the master plan will define multiple options for how the site could be used, all features included in the predevelopment plan will be delivered regardless of the final master plan layout.
The completed project incorporates infrastructure improvements and community-driven upgrades in the fairground’s vision, with the potential to move the fair from its current location to a new locale. This includes plans for a 10-acre public park with plazas, trails, play areas and restrooms. Additional funding will support demolition services, utility connections and pedestrian-friendly upgrades along the fairgrounds limits such as intersection upgrades, sidewalks, landscaping and bus-stop enhancements.
The master planning process is split across three phases – discovery, visioning and implementation. The district board is currently in the first phase. The master planning team has released three discussion concepts for the fairgrounds’ future design, committing to none of them while development is ongoing. Each concept follows the same general design principles, predominantly varying based on redevelopment potential, amenities and location.
Concept 1 would keep the state fair where it is while providing additional space through the 10-acre public park. Additional amenities would include establishing an entertainment district, building a large event venue, a hotel and providing mixed housing. Redevelopment would be limited to 43 acres in the southwest corner.
Concept 2 would expand the state fair’s footprint, building a larger entertainment district with a venue, a hotel, mixed-use space and limited housing. The park would still be included, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Redevelopment potential would be increased to 51 acres, divided between the southwest corner and some space on a corner of Lomas and San Pedro.
Concept 3 would completely relocate the state fair, opening a slew of redevelopment opportunities. The district board would use the newly available space to pursue a public-private partnership to create a central campus through adaptive re-use, neighbored by an event space, school and village corridor. The vision maintains a larger 22-acre park space, entertainment district, workforce training space, mixed-use housing, large event venue, hotel and music/performing arts area. A total of 124 acres would be slated for redevelopment.
Photo by Steve Terrell from Santa Fe, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
This story is a part of the weekly Government Contracting Pipeline digital news publication. See more of the latest government contracting news here. For more national government news, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals.
