Lane County is hitting reboot on its plans to renovate the County Fairgrounds.
Since 2017, fairground officials have been working on a "Master Plan" for the the future of Lane Events Center. A report from that year found that it would take over $50 million to repair the site's aging infrastructure.
Also under discussion is the construction of new buildings, including a hotel and livestock facility. Meanwhile, Lane County Commissioner David Loveall has advocated for relocating the fairgrounds to a larger property.
However, the county now says progress on this process has stalled, slowed by the discussion around a potential Ems stadium.
At a meeting of County Commissioners Tuesday, planners heard feedback on how to proceed.
Lane Events Center Manager Corey Buller said that past consultants had a narrow focus. One report said that the county’s best financial moves would be to abandon the stadium concept and remove the ice rink.
"They're national fairground planners, [so] they're gonna plan a fairgrounds," said Buller. "If you want to look outside of that box, then I would suggest we start with something not at that level."
Commissioner Heather Buch told Buller and other planners they should ask the public what their priorities are.
"What they want there may not be the thing that makes the most money," said Buch. "These are community assets that enrich our community, and the culture and vibe of people wanting to live here."
Planners said they’ll now work on a strategy to reach neighbors, hockey players and others who could be affected by changes to the site. Loveall said the Master Plan is the opportunity to dream big.
"We're a changing community, and I think we're visionary," said Loveall. "I think it's time for us to really do something we can put a stake in and be proud of."
