The Madison County Fairgrounds will be moving in a few years after new property purchased

REXBURG — The Madison County Fairgrounds will person a different location aft caller spot was precocious purchased.

“For nan past 10 years, nan adjacent committee has been exploring options and successful nan past year, we were capable to make a woody connected this,” Madison County Fair Board Chairman Chris Johnson told EastIdahoNews.com.

Earlier this week, nan Madison County Fairgrounds Facebook page posted it will beryllium moving.

“We are excited for what this intends for Rexburg. Bigger events, amended events, and astir of all, amended seating for our Famous Whoopee Days Rodeo!” the station said. 

According to a representation online, nan caller spot is located connected portion of South 3300 West and is connected nan westbound broadside of U.S. Highway 20 adjacent nan gravel pit and adjacent to nan Thornton exit. 

The spot is astir 80 acres. The existent Madison County Fairgrounds is 30 acres. 

“It is region owned already and nan caller spot is still going to beryllium region owned,” Johnson said. 

The caller location was needed because Johnson said they were “bursting astatine nan seams.” 

“From nan nationalist perspective, nan existent fairgrounds look huge. When location is nightly events going on, we are retired of parking spots for chiefly equine trailers aliases erstwhile we person a grandstand event, location is not capable parking and group are parking connected metropolis streets and neighbors are not happy,” he explained. 

The caller spot will springiness nan opportunity to build bigger. 

“Right now, we person 30 equine stalls. The caller spot is going to person 300. Right now, we don’t person immoderate RV spots, nan caller spot is going to person 200 RV spots,” Johnson said. “Our indoor (arena) correct now is 150 by 200. The caller 1 is going to beryllium 200 by 300.”

A image of nan existent fairgrounds. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Johnson said nan different extremity is to make it a multi-use facility. 

“This is not conscionable a adjacent and rodeo facility. We are going to incorporated a stepping path, playground, a grassy area for group to beryllium capable to usage nan installation extracurricular of adjacent and rodeo events,” he said. 

Madison County Commissioner Chairman Todd Smith said nan existent fairgrounds person been astir for decades, and nan organization has grown significantly. 

“You deliberation astir nan existent fairgrounds…it was rebuilt aft nan flood successful 1976/1977 and astatine nan time, we were a organization of astir 10,000 people. Now we are bordering adjacent to 60,000,” Smith said. “The existent fairgrounds are utilized everyday. It’s clip to get connected a bigger portion of crushed that we tin person a bigger installation and service much people.” 

Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

The spot was bought from nan Bowen family successful Madison County. Smith declined to disclose really overmuch nan spot costs and explained he wanted to respect nan privateness of nan seller. EastIdahoNews.com submitted a nationalist records petition Friday to Madison County for nan acquisition magnitude and are awaiting a response.

Smith said nan region was capable to usage immoderate ARPA costs received from nan national authorities a fewer years agone owed to COVID-19 to acquisition nan caller property. 

“We received astir 7 and a half cardinal dollars of ARPA costs from nan national government. We utilized it for a mates of things for illustration caller ambulances and we were capable to bargain this crushed pinch those costs arsenic well,” he said. 

Smith said nan location will beryllium awesome for nan fairgrounds. 

“There are roads connected 3 sides of that spot that are wrong a mile of nan Thornton exit and adjacent to nan University exit. The caller frontage roadworthy that we are building is wrong a 4th of a mile of this property,” Smith said. 

Smith and Johnson besides said location person been nationalist meetings passim nan years discussing nan Madison County Fairgrounds. They added that for nan acquisition of this property, location did not request to beryllium a nationalist proceeding owed to it already being zoned. 

“Moving forward, nan scheme is to waste nan existing fairgrounds and usage those costs to thief build (the caller fairgrounds),” Smith said. “At this point, we person not utilized immoderate section spot taxation dollars connected this project.”

Johnson told EastIdahoNews.com that they are successful nan creation phase. 

“I person formed extracurricular of my adjacent committee (a) caller fairgrounds committee. None of my adjacent committee members are connected it. We are successful nan creation phase. That committee brings worldly backmost to nan adjacent committee for approval,” he said. 

So erstwhile will nan caller spot beryllium utilized for nan fairgrounds? It could return a fewer years. In nan meantime, nan existent 1 will still clasp events.

“We are hoping to beryllium breaking crushed successful nan adjacent 2 years. It is my extremity successful 5 years — it is our 100th day (at nan Madison County Fairgrounds) and I would emotion to person nan adjacent and rodeo location for that,” Johnson said. 

Johnson explained nan fairgrounds would still person nan aforesaid hometown consciousness and looks guardant to nan alteration while acknowledging nan organization mightiness person questions. 

“We are much than happy to talk this pinch nan public. It’s a immense project. We’re excited,” he said.