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Erdman: Fair debate dies if lawmakers don’t act soon

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BY NANCY HICKS AND MELISSA LEE /Lincoln Journal Star

Sunday, Mar 30, 2008 - 12:26:56 am CDT

If the future of State Fair Park isn’t resolved this year, the proposal to move it and turn the land over to the University of Nebraska for a research park is likely dead, said Sen. Phil Erdman of Bayard.

“This is the opportunity to resolve” the future of the Nebraska State Fair, said Erdman. “If the Legislature cannot pass a bill, if it does not address the concerns and the status quo continues, I believe it is appropriate and essential to allow the fair to begin the development of State Fair Park immediately.”

The State Fair Board has put a master plan for renovating the fairgrounds on hold, pending possible legislative action.

Story Photo
Sen. Phil Erdman
Grand Island's interest isn't new

Grand Island has wanted the Nebraska State Fair for a long, long time.

In 1895, during an era the fair was moving back and forth between Lincoln and Omaha, Grand Island put in its bid.

The State Board of Agriculture, according to Lincoln historian Jim McKee, had deemed Omaha’s 1894 fair a dismal failure because it failed to “provide entertainment other than saloons, gambling houses and honky tonks.”

The board warned Omaha to plan better in 1895 “or lose it to a competitively alert Lincoln.”

Omaha apparently shaped up.

When the state board voted for the 1895 state fair location, Omaha won with 50 votes. Lincoln received 41, Grand Island 8.

Folks in Grand Island, and apparently even Gov. Dave Heineman, believe Grand Island’s chances this year are much better than they were way back when. Heineman said last week the state fair train appears to be chugging toward Hall County.

It may be coincidence, but both the governor and Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy are headed to the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting on Thursday.

Erdman chairs the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee, which has three bills charting the possible future of State Fair Park on its pending agenda. The committee tentatively had been scheduled to meet Wednesday, but Erdman said it wasn’t ready to act. On Friday, he said the committee would meet “soon,” but wouldn’t specify a date.

The Legislature has 10 working days left, with adjournment set for April 17.

Erdman said there still is time for the full Legislature to consider state fair legislation.

The absolute deadline for sending a bill to the full Legislature is four days before the end of the session, although that’s not a deadline anyone would hope for, Erdman said.

While there was no official action regarding the state fair this past week, there was plenty of state fair talk.

* Gov. Dave Heineman reportedly told a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting momentum appeared to be growing to move the fair to Grand Island.

* Word got out that Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler and his state fair lobbyist, former state Sen. Kermit Brashear, were preparing a $110 million plan to try to keep the fair in Lincoln. Beutler said the plan was tentative and not ready for public discussion, but parties key to the Beutler plan indicated little support for it. Meanwhile, Beutler said Lincoln is still fighting to keep the fair in Lincoln, but, if given a choice between keeping the fair or having UNL develop a public-private research park on the land, the research park would be of greater long-term economic benefit to the city.

* Four members of Erdman’s eight-member committee said they regard Grand Island as the best site for the state fair if it moves from Lincoln's State Fair Park. A fifth member said he prefers to keep the fair in Lincoln but could live with a move to Grand Island.

While the legislative clock is ticking, UNL officials said they have little choice but to be patient.

Until lawmakers decide who gets the land, UNL says it can do little more than publicly support the research campus — and wait and hope.

“Once that decision is made, the excitement starts,” said Prem Paul, UNL vice chancellor for research and economic development. “We’ve certainly been thinking about the possibilities, but serious planning cannot begin yet.”

Last fall, Paul said, UNL had begun to draw inquiries from private companies interested in locating in the proposed Innovation Park and working with university researchers.

The interest is still there, even though months have passed with no decisions, Paul said.

“These are just early inquiries. ... We don’t want to mislead anybody that it’s going to happen or not,” he said.

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com. Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.


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What next wrote on March 30, 2008 6:16 am:
" " Too be or not too be, that is the question" as Shakespear said. This debate will surely end with no real conclusion and will probably die. The State Fair Park will remain as is. That is probably a good thing for now. Haste makes waste and the faster the train is going the harder it becomes to stop. Spending is way out of control in this State and it needs to be contained. "

 Keep wrote on March 30, 2008 8:52 am:
" I think the fair should stay right where it is. Who is going to go to Grand Island from Omaha or Lincoln???? It is something our family looks forward to every year since there is not much else to do in lincoln for kids.Please keep the fair in Lincoln. "

 ted wrote on March 30, 2008 11:13 am:
" The choices are simple:invest in a 100 year old model with limited potential, or plan for more futuristic and prosperous use of the land. Will we live in the past or the future? "

 Russ A Lincoln wrote on March 30, 2008 12:46 pm:
" how much time and money has been wasted on this subject instead of doing some good all the positioning and jocking to see who can get the most money in their private pockets with city and state tax funds is all it boils down too. "

 Small town wrote on March 30, 2008 4:50 pm:
" Lincoln will always be a small town for the small-minded. Besides, we can't miss out on those deep-fried twinkys can we? "

 Move wrote on March 30, 2008 6:16 pm:
" Who drives from Grand Island (or anywhere west of it) to Lincoln? "

 stupid again wrote on March 30, 2008 6:30 pm:
" How can anyone with half a brain not want future hightech jobs vs cows and pigs/cow show 1 week a year......hey lets ask a farmer to not plant a pivot of corn so a hog show can be put on his high dollar land .....not in a million years would that happen or should it on this tax payer owned land in Lincoln with state fair squatters needing to move on west to GI "

 Too bee? wrote on March 30, 2008 8:21 pm:
" Can somebody make a decision here? This has gone on too loooong. "

 Stay Put wrote on March 30, 2008 8:52 pm:
" The Fair needs to stay in Lincoln,Grand Island does not have enough motel rooms for the vendors,let alone 300,000 people,your going to kill the Fair by moving it,Can't any of our so called leaders tell the university NO,they are like a spoiled child,that gets everything they want,with no way to pay for it, "

 Esther wrote on March 30, 2008 9:32 pm:
" Lack of a disaster plan and emergency facilities capacity to deal with a horrific at the GI site , should weigh into the decision. Mayor Beutler and the citizens of Lincoln would benefit from development of a research/innovation park regardless of its site. Yes, this could be a dream location but the costs and hidden costs appear to have been understated and no corporate anchors have been identified. This leaves the public with too many unanswered questions. UNL’s Athletic Department (and therefore the city) may also lose if she doesn’t step up and commit to a principal role for an arena. "

 john wrote on March 30, 2008 10:00 pm:
" To all the supporters of the Tech, center, SHOW ME THE MONEY. SHOW ME THE COMPANYS that have shown an interest in this development.
Slow this down and regroup. Most of us working poor cannot afford this project. I can't afford the 90+ Million Jail or 15,000 for our new lobbyist. Etc, etc. etc. "

 Matt Poulsen wrote on March 30, 2008 11:04 pm:
" I will be deeply embarrassed and disappointed if the city and state decide that its more important to have a 2 week long carnival and livestock show than a 1/3 of a billion dollar innovation park. This is EXACTLY why Lincoln is so behind the curve!! This absolutely sickens me!! "

 Huh wrote on March 30, 2008 11:04 pm:
" I love the fair, and it's definitely more than a cow and pig show or fried twinkles. But if you don't go, then you wouldn't know. The UNL can build their research park on other property they own. I am thinking with a full brain when I say why pay for two projects, when you only need to pay for one (UNL park). Of course, if the good taxpayers of Lincoln like to pay twice as much for things, then go for moving the fair to another part of Lincoln. It should be interesting to hear how much more your property taxes will go up because of it. Oh, and what's a "pivot of corn"? "

 JR wrote on March 31, 2008 9:32 am:
" There is no doubt in my mind the fair should move and make way for the research park. Over time, it will more than pay for itself. As for the fair? If the fair board would rather move the fair to GI where it will die a slow agonizing death, as opposed to working with the county fair board, then they deserve the eventual demise. After all, they have ridden it into the ground already. Might as well continue to beat the dead horse. But why hasn't Erdman acted? Everyone else has. Where is his leadership? "

 Support the Fair wrote on March 31, 2008 9:39 am:
" The solution is obvious, build the research park on the University's own land and keep the Fair where it is. How stupid do they think we are? We can have both. If the University wants the Research Park so bad then let them build it. But the Fairgrounds is for the State Fair. The last I knew the Fairgrounds is not for sale. Tell the 2015 group to go search for land somewhere else. I believe strongly that the majority of Nebraskans do not want to pay higher taxes by moving the Fair. The most optimal solution is to keep the Fair where it is. This discussion should have ended long ago. "

 mitchy_v wrote on March 31, 2008 12:41 pm:
" Location and tradition aside, give them a REASON to come, and they will. Lincon, Grand Island, whereever. Slow down and look at the pros and cons of each site.
I see a far greater benifit to the state with the research park at the fairgrounds. These research park are most effective when located next to the university. 84th street is in a floodplain and not a cheap fix. Grand Island has some of the inferstructure in place and is the cheapest solution, but the numbers Could be an issue. Don't forget numbers are an issue currently in lincoln. You only need enough people to suppore the size of fair you are having. Think if the fair in GI would only bring in 200k people but only cost half as much to run. Would that be considered a failure? "

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