KALAMAZOO
COUNTY, MI
GENEALOGY & LOCAL HISTORY
Click on image to enlarge
KALAMAZOO
COUNTY
FAIR
Kalamazoo
County Fair website
Fair Ground,
2900 Lake Street
Kalamazoo,
MI 49048-5822
269-349-9791
Click on map to enlarge
From
I-94, take EXIT 80, SPRINKLE Road NORTH, and continue past three
stop lights - then turn LEFT on Business Loop I-94. Turn RIGHT
on LAKE street and follow signs to the Fair Ground |
The Kalamazoo County Fair has been an important county event since 1846
click on links to see photos !
Recreation Park, Race Track and Fair Buildings,
home of the Kalamazoo County Fair. Early in the 20th Century,
Recreation Park was an important venue on the horse racing circuit with weekly race.
The county fair was held at a number of locations before it was moved to Recreation
Park.
Photographs from the 2000
Kalamazoo County Fair
click on links to see photos !
Note the long belt running from the tractor
to the harvesting machine. This was the power take off feature of tractors
in that era. It allowed the tractor to power other equipment. Power
was "taken off" from the riding wheels and switched to another wheel or shaft.
click on links to see photos !
Kalamazoo county Fairground
to get three million plus in upgrades
Kalamazoo Gazette
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
By Cedric Ricks
cricks@kalamazoogazette.com 388-8557
Kalamazoo County officials Tuesday night approved a 10-year
master plan that calls for $3.3 million worth of renovations for the Kalamazoo County
Fairground and a new name for the property.
But questions were raised by
some about plans to add exposition space at the fairground, especially since the
Midlink Business Park in Comstock Township is considering converting part of its
space into an expo center. Whether the market can support more expo space and how
it would be funded also were questioned.
David Rachowicz, county parks
director, said the renovations at the 125-acre fairground property, located on Lake
Street, would be funded over a 10-year period and start this year. Improvements
will include upgrades to current buildings, construction of outdoor restrooms, building
a new 4-H office with concession stand and upgrading the property's electrical wiring
for future expansions.
Rachowicz said the plan proposes expanding the number
of fairground campsites to 325 from 55. The property's west yard area will be improved
and a new outdoor event area will replace the fairground's horse track. The plan
also proposes spending $3.79 million to nearly double the more than 37,000 square
feet of exposition and office space, to 73,000 square feet.
The renovations, excluding the possible additional expo
space, will be funded out of the $254,000 in accommodation taxes the county gives
the parks department each year, along with funds the parks department has on hand,
grants and donations.
Annually, Kalamazoo County raises about $1.7 million
through the accommodation tax, a charge that visitors to the county pay when staying
in motels or hotels. The county's general fund won't be tapped for any of the improvements.
The property will be renamed
the Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairground.
Some improvements for parking
and reconfiguration of roads on the fairground property will also be part of the
renovations, Rachowicz said.
Rachowicz said the master plan
also calls for making $246,000 in streetscape improvements on Lake Street. He said
he is looking for grants to fund those improvements.
The plan was generally well-received
by county officials, but it did draw concerns from representatives of the Kalamazoo
County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Midlink Business Park because of the plan
to add exposition space at the fairground.
Wayne Kruger, chairman of the
Convention and Visitors Bureau, said a feasibility study should be done to assure
the area can support additional exposition space at the county fairground property.
Although the county's hotel
tax is used to promote tourism, the lion's share -- $1.3 million -- goes to the
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
County Commissioner Deb Buchholtz-Hiemstra
told Kruger that the county had no plan to change the percentage of accommodation
tax that the Convention and Visitors Bureau receives.
Rachowicz said the plan for
more expo space is only a conceptual idea that needs community backing to become
a reality. ``We think there is a need here in the county for the additional space,''
he said before the meeting.
Pattijean McCahill, marketing
director for Midlink, said the business park is looking at consumer shows that would
need anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 square feet of exposition space. Officials
at Midlink started thinking seriously about an expo center after the business park
successfully hosted the Home Expo back in March, she said.
County Administrator Don Gilmer
questioned whether Midlink should be considering using space in its business park
for an expo center, instead of new businesses. He said Midlink is also part of a
Michigan Renaissance Zone, which permits tenants to have their taxes abated.
``I'm sure this community wants
to know whether or not this Renaissance Zone that we are fortunate to have in our
community will be utilized to attract real jobs that are going to be permanent,
good-paying and ongoing,'' Gilmer said.
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