The consultants heading up a proposed revamping of the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont have worked on several local fairgrounds projects, and are looking to engage the public in deciding the best upgrades for the venerable Longmont landmark, officials said this week.
Design Workshop is being paid $329,365 by Boulder County to update the master plan for the fairgrounds, which is home to the 100-year-old Boulder County Fair and 1,500 events a year, Joe LaFollette, fairgrounds manager, said this week.
The facility also sees 400,000 visitors a year. But there has not been any major work done at the fairgrounds site — which rests on nearly 80 acres — since 1978, LaFollette said.
“We were on our way with our master plan in 2019, and then COVID hit,” he said. “That was a big speed bump for us but we are finally, finally working on something that is long overdue.”
LaFolette said supporters want a multi-use facility that attracts a diverse group of exhibitors while still holding on to the area’s agricultural core. “All the feedback we have received is that everyone wants to make sure it fits the needs of our community,” LaFolette said. “But the focus should remain on our agriculture population.”
“We are hoping that the Design Workshop will help guide us along the way,” he said.
Design Workshop has created master plans for Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley — which hosts the Greeley Stampede and the Weld County Fair. The company also worked on the master plan for Riverdale Regional Park — host of the Adams County Fair — and is currently working with The Ranch in Larimer County on an expansion project, Ashley Hejtmanek, associate with Design Workshop, said in an email.
“Recently in the region, we’ve worked on the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Master Plan, and we are currently working on the Boulder Parks and Recreation Master Plan,” Hejtmanek said.
The company has a large office in Denver and another office in Aspen, she said. “Between the two offices we have covered a lot of facilities and project types, throughout the state,” she said.
A public open house on the master plan process for the fairgrounds will be held Nov. 16 5-7:30 p.m. at the exhibit building, 9595 Nelson Road. Residents will have a chance to talk one-on-one with Design Workshop and Boulder County staff before and after a presentation.
A second community meeting is scheduled for February 2022 and a final master plan may be submitted for review by the Boulder County Commissioners in May 2022. A final master plan is scheduled to be adopted in July 2022, Karla Schultz, facility projects manager for Boulder County.
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