Comment on New York State Fairgrounds Renovation Project May 6

News from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

The Great New York State Fair will host a public workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. May 6 at the state Fairgrounds as it begins the process of determining elements that will be part of the first major renovation of the fairgrounds in a century, acting Fair Director Troy Waffner said.

The workshop will take place in the Martha Eddy Room at the Art & Home Center on the Fairgrounds. The public is invited.

“We are committed to an open and transparent process in order to determine how to best use the land we have to accomplish Governor Cuomo’s goals of better promoting New York agriculture and increasing tourism at the Fairgrounds year round.   The Fair means so much to so many people and it’s important that their voices are heard.  I look forward to hearing from our constituency at this event and can’t wait to get the ball rolling on this once-in-a lifetime project,” said Waffner.

The meeting will be conducted by the lead consulting firm in charge of the project, M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying of Clifton Park. There will be a brief overview of the process to be used, followed by the listening session.  

It will begin with formal comments from stakeholder groups. Public comments will take place after the completion of formal comments. Members of the public who wish to speak will be asked to sign up at the door.  

Speakers will have three minutes to offer comments. The meeting will end promptly at 8 p.m. 

Members of the public who wish to comment on the project but cannot attend the hearing are welcome to send their comments to comment@agriculture.ny.gov. 

The fairgrounds hosts more than 100 private and public events each year, including large trade shows, vehicle and equipment sales, and equestrian and other animal-related events run by private vendors.

This will be the largest project carried out at the fairgrounds since the construction of its historic central buildings in the early 20^th Century. A key goal is to attract more people to the annual 12-day event, which is already one of the largest state fairs in the nation.  

The fairgrounds have called 375 acres of land in the Onondaga County town of Geddes their home since 1890.

The New York State Fair, operated by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs this year from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7.

In addition to the annual New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious horse and livestock shows.