* This is a good idea. We have a lot of large agribusiness interests in this state which haven’t stepped up to back the Illinois State Fair. And the facilities could certainly use a sprucing up, to say the least…
Governor Bruce Rauner today, on Agricultural Day at the Illinois State Fair, applauded the launch of a new not-for-profit, Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, to emphasize capital improvements at the Springfield and Du Quoin fairgrounds.
“The State Fair is the best place for Illinois to show off its products and accomplishments, and to ensure we can continue to do that, so that our children and grandchildren can continue on with this same tradition, we must preserve the State Fair experience and the legacy of its entertainment for generations to come,” said Governor Rauner. “A foundation is the best way to ensure that the fairgrounds get the upgrades and renovations necessary for these important assets. And it allows the fairgrounds to be less reliant on state money while putting no additional costs on the taxpayers. This is a win for taxpayers and the agricultural community as a whole.”
The Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield includes more than 170 buildings spanning 360 acres of land, with buildings as old as 124 years. The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds includes more than 20 buildings spread across more than 1,200 acres of land, with buildings as old as 93 years. Many of the buildings on both fairgrounds are in dire need of restoration, including paint, plumbing, roofing, and structural repairs. Combined, the fairgrounds carry $180 million in deferred maintenance costs.
“As a life-long Springfield resident, I’ve had a front row seat to the deterioration of our state fairgrounds,” said Dept. of Agriculture Director Raymond Poe. “Years and years of deferred maintenance has taken a toll on our fairgrounds. The facilities in Springfield and Du Quoin are used 365 days a year, not just the 11 days of each fair. We need to stop ignoring these problems and start planning for the future.”
Leaders in the agricultural community established the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation to promote, support, assist, and sustain the Springfield and Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. The foundation will be led by a volunteer board representing a diverse cross section of the agriculture industry. Board members will engage with private sector business organizations and individuals to develop strategies to raise private funding, coordinate with the Department of Agriculture to plan projects and determine the Fairgrounds’ needs, and serve as ambassadors for the revitalization and improvement of the Fairgrounds and their agricultural heritage.
“I have had the privilege of working with Illinois companies and Illinois agri-businesses that support Illinois agriculture,” said board member John Slayton. “Over the years, these companies have contributed large chunks of money to help our youth exhibitors through the Governor’s Sale of Champions. There are companies in Illinois who are passionate about our state, our state’s number one industry, and our state fairs. Many of these companies currently donate to state fairs in other states because these states possess a vehicle to accept such donations. Now, with the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, we can keep Illinois dollars in Illinois supporting Illinois agriculture.”
“In past administrations the maintenance of the fairgrounds has been neglected, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in unmet infrastructure needs in Springfield and Du Quoin. I am pleased the agriculture community has created a foundation that will enable our private sector partners to help modernize and restore the greatness of these facilities,” said State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington).
“I fully support the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation and its mission to raise private funds to help improve the infrastructure as well as promote the fairgrounds,” said State Rep. Tim Butler (R- Springfield). “I anticipate the foundation will prove beneficial to the taxpayers, Springfield and the State.”
- Commander Norton - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:10 pm:
Was this established through legislation? If not, does it bypass prevailing wage requirements for work performed on the Fairgrounds? I remember that was the issue with Sen. Manar’s fair foundation bill, correct?
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:29 pm:
I hope this will work but really I don’t know if the large AG corporations will go for it unless they get their name on something. I’m not sure you can do that at the fairgrounds. Can you? Just a thought.
- Thinking - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:31 pm:
Don’t know how or if this overlaps with Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation that according to website was started in 2006. http://www.statefairmuseum.org
- Ghost - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
I think they should look at some additional paths. 1 allow sponsorship. say let Brandt, for example, put their name on building(s) in exchnage for covering upkeep. also i would like the group to pursue greater use of the fair grounds. bring back the high school rodeo, etc. we have a lot of events, but there is a huge amount of space and room for even more!
- Nomar - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:45 pm:
There’s already the Farm Progress Show in Decatur every 2 years with AG companies from all around the world displaying their latest. An Idea: As far as the labor to improve the fairgrounds, why don’t they use the DOC inmates for labor and the concordia court supervisors to manage.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
Great idea until the AG companies run smack into Illinois’ purchasing and procurement regs. Remember those, the ones the GA could not pass fast enough to show they were doing something about Rod and created the current train wreck we have when trying to get something done in state government.
In any case, this thing needs to happen. When Chuck Hartke was AG Director, he produced a plan which was over 500 pages long outlining and detailing infrastructure needs of the fairgrounds and long-term and short-term projects to enhance the marketability of the both fairgrounds.
Best of luck to the foundation.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:55 pm:
Nomar: At one time DOC inmates were used for such things. However, Wait For It, AFSCME filed complaints about the inmates taking over jobs their members should be doing.
They still do some work on the grounds such as flowerbeds, but not much beyond that.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 12:57 pm:
Oh goody, another not-for profit organization established by 1.4% that is not subject to FOIA, ethics rules or have legislative authority to spend money.
- Gobsmacked - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:16 pm:
So, let’s starve the human services sector through the state budget while vacuuming up scarce corporate contributions to fund yet another new foundation. This on top of all the other dedicated foundations and funding drives that already exist to support the restoration of the Governor’s Mansion, individual charter schools, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, etc.
Our schools and parks are entrusted to state and local governments that cannot bring themselves to adopt fair, realistic tax policies. That’s scary. It’s also scary that so many corporate and private foundations enable this behavior.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:17 pm:
The Illinois State Fair, brought to you, in part, by Com Ed.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
==The Illinois State Fair, brought to you, in part, by Com Ed.==
Which is how many other States fund much more successful fairs. Corporate logos are already all over the Fairgrounds
- East Central Illinois - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:27 pm:
Hope the power outage does not negatively impact the butter cow.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:34 pm:
Agree with East Central, the last thing we need is the butter cow melting and running all over the sidewalks where the Lt. Gov. might be walking.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:40 pm:
What took so long…bigbrain should have done this a tear ago
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
I’m for any plan that brings the midway back to Happy Hollow!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
==What took so long…bigbrain should have done this a tear ago==
It should’ve been done many years ago. I guess previous admins just lacked the “bigbrains” necessary to implement it.
- SAP - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
If only there was some sort of race track on the fairgrounds that could be used (for more than 5 days per year) for horse racing to generate wagering revenue for upkeep of the fairgrounds.
- SAP - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
Snark from my prior post notwithstanding, I actually think this is a good idea.
- Just Because - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:14 pm:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-12-20/news/8503280292_1_fair-workers-state-fairs-illinois-department
- A worker - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 2:17 pm:
Does anyone know who will raise this money, who will disclose the balance sheet, and who will decide how to spend it? Is there a board? Who appoints? If they wanted to sell naming rights or other benefits at the fairgrounds, who would coordinate that with Ag?
- Tough Guy - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 3:02 pm:
Like the idea of a foundation but am concerned about bidding procedures and how contracts will be awarded.
- Former State Employee - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 5:26 pm:
The problem is all of this has been looked at before. In many cases, including naming rights, SB51 and the Procurement Code prevents the obviously answers. I’m not saying it won’t work, and I hope it does, but I think this group will quickly find that if it was easy it would have been done already. Of course naming rights was considered before. Duh.
- Ron - Tuesday, Aug 16, 16 @ 6:55 pm:
Governor, no one cares about state fair grounds. Please bust the public employee unions first .