Colorado State Fair to Denver? (Aurora, Pueblo: rental car, rental, hotel)

[bluescreen73]

The City of Denver laid out the master plan for the National Western Stock Show/Denver Coliseum site renovation, but they've yet to put a dollar figure on the construction costs. Common sense says this would be a prime opportunity to pull the fair out of Pueblo and relocate it to Denver to help defray some of the costs of re-doing the stock show grounds and save the fair itself in the long run.

Honestly, I believe if the fair doesn't get relocated it'll be defunded within the next decade because it's bleeding money. If it comes down to a choice between necessities like schools and infrastructure vs. a "luxury" item like the fair, the fair will lose.

[davebarnes]

You are correct
Colorado State Fair losing money, needs help from lawmakers - 7NEWS Denver TheDenverChannel.com
that the State Fair looses money.

But, the emotional commitment to Pueblo is quite strong.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

The City of Denver laid out the master plan for the National Western Stock Show/Denver Coliseum site renovation, but they've yet to put a dollar figure on the construction costs. Common sense says this would be a prime opportunity to pull the fair out of Pueblo and relocate it to Denver to help defray some of the costs of re-doing the stock show grounds and save the fair itself in the long run.

Honestly, I believe if the fair doesn't get relocated it'll be defunded within the next decade because it's bleeding money. If it comes down to a choice between necessities like schools and infrastructure vs. a "luxury" item like the fair, the fair will lose.

It MIGHT happen, but it's very, very, very unlikely. The state isn't going to put up money to improve the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, let alone move the Fair to Denver. Rather Denver is going to go for the RTA funding and it will probably get an insane amount since it a) has a ton of strategic partners lined up, b) has the financial capabilities to accomplish the project (i.e. supporting a bonding issue), c) and is probably the one project asides from Gaylord that will have a ton of new out of state tourist traffic. It's probably a $750M or so project which is going to reshape that whole area.

But the Fair going there? I'd say no since no one is going to provide funding to move it and it would be a political ****storm.

Getting the money lined up for the NWSS redo:

Denver officials pitch tax vote for stock show plan, outline control - The Denver Post

The plan would:

-Extend both the 1.75% lodging the the same rental car fee that is set to expire in 2023 and originally paid for the convention center expansion.
-Raise $476M for the NWSS re-do
-Raise $105M to expand the convention center

In addition, Denver plans to raise another $200M from land sales, federal grants, onsite inc. etc. and $117M from an RTA grant. CSU is chipping in $250M and the Stock Show is putting up $50M. So the $1B figure for the project has been somewhat fleshed out.

Still no mention of moving the Fair (which ain't going to happen), though the state did pony up $250M for CSU to build a cutting edge agricultural R&D campus so anything might someday be possible.

[bluescreen73]

Here's hoping the die has been cast. If Pueblo wants to keep the fair, they need to step up to the plate; otherwise it should be moved to the revamped National Western grounds.

Cash-strapped Colorado State Fair could move out of Pueblo - The Denver Post

[otowi]

Colorado State Fair considers moving from Pueblo

[Hschlick84]

Move it out to east Aurora or somewhere closer to DIA? What about near Watkins and I-70? There's plenty of open space out there.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Move it out to east Aurora or somewhere closer to DIA? What about near Watkins and I-70? There's plenty of open space out there.

The only problem with that is that the land would have to be purchased and the infrastructure would have to be built from the ground up. The City of Denver is spending something like $250 million to revamp the stock show grounds. The infrastructure there is already in place. Adding the fair as a date to that calendar would be a lot more trivial than a new build.

[Hschlick84]

Like I mentioned in another thread, it could be moved to east Aurora, closer to DIA or possibly near Watkins and I-70. There's plenty of open land out there and it's more centralized.

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

The only problem with that is that the land would have to be purchased and the infrastructure would have to be built from the ground up. The City of Denver is spending something like $250 million to revamp the stock show grounds. The infrastructure there is already in place. Adding the fair as a date to that calendar would be a lot more trivial than a new build.

I hope there will be enough room to accommodate the state fair if they moved it to the National Western Center.

[Mike from back east]

Merged two threads into one. I think I'll put it in the Denver forum as that's where it may end up someday as there seems continued interest is such a move.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I hope there will be enough room to accommodate the state fair if they moved it to the National Western Center.

Well the state fair had an attendance of 498,000 last year; the stock show attendance was 682,000.

Not everything has to be at the NWSS facility: concerts could be played at different venues like Red Rocks or Fiddler's Green.

The downside is that the rodeo would not be outside.

Denver has many more hotel rooms to accommodate visitors as well.