A finalized plan detailing the future of the big 236-acre New Mexico State Fairgrounds just outside the Albuquerque border is expected to be revealed sometime early next year.
That, at least, is the hope should a Request for Proposals for professional consultants to develop a master plan for the fairgrounds produce the desired result, which would, in turn, lead to the development of a master plan process starting this summer.
Located at 300 San Pedro Drive, the State Fairgrounds is the home to the annual state fair held in September, an event whose origins can be traced to 1881 and has attracted in the neighborhood of around 500,000 guests.
Move to upgrade the site itself took a big step forward this spring when members of the New Mexico State Legislature voted to approve $14 million to fund improvements at what is officially called the Expo New Mexico Fairgrounds.
Future work at the Fairgrounds, which is the home to several structures built in the 1930s by the federal Works Progress Administration, will include a variety of infrastructure upgrades.
But additional legislation approved by the New Mexico lawmakers has called for redeveloping part of the site as mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood with “walkable, green space.”
A submission deadline for the RFP, which was issued by the New Mexico General Services Department, is set for April 18. The next step in the process will include public input during the summer, with a draft of the master plan expected by fall.
Covid restrictions led to a dramatic decrease in attendance at the state fair, with the numbers dropping to around 275,000. The enduring popularity of the event has been seen in a swift attendance increase in recent years, culminating in the record-breaking turnout of nearly 518,000 last year.
April 4, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
