Study to Look at Moving Laramie County Fairgrounds
Laramie County Fair officials have hired a consultant to study the feasibility of moving the fairgrounds to the Archer Complex.
"The main goal of the study is to take a look to see if the multi-purpose facility in the master vision plan for the fairgrounds will be sustainable," said Fair Manager Jeff Ketchum. "And that will take into consideration the revenues."
Right now, the fair is funded with half a mil.
"We use that to put on the fair at Frontier Park and then the other part is to operate and maintain the fairgrounds at Archer," said Ketchum. "The idea is to bring all our fair and have it at one place and that'll be part of this multi-purpose facility."
Ketchum says they plan to turn the facility into a year-round events center.
"We'll have events out there probably every weekend," said Ketchum. "There's going to be some expenses in doing that, but there's also going to be a revenue side of that."
"The biggest benefit to the community is the economic impact it will have on people buying gas, going to restaurants, using motels, shopping and things of that nature," Ketchum added.
Laramie County voters turned down a proposed $21.9 million fairgrounds expansion in 2012. Ketchum says they plan to put the multi-purpose facility on the May 2017 sixth-penny ballot, but at a cost of roughly $10 million this time around.
"Hopefully if that facility is built there that's going to draw in maybe some convenience stores, it'll certainly bring in some motels, restaurants and things like that," Ketchum said. "That's one place where Cheyenne can grow, is to the east and the south."
Ketchum says the feasibility study should be completed by early June.