Planners working with La Plata County are seeking input from the public as they prepare to put pen to paper on the fairgrounds and event center master plan.
At a meeting Thursday, Lee Petty with DHM Design and Lauren Davis with Reynolds Ash and Associates unveiled to a room of about 40 the primary goals of the master plan: improve accessibility, reduce overhead expenses, improve site circulation and design versatile spaces.
The county launched the master planning process earlier this year after the Board of County Commissioners decided in September 2023 not to move forward with a proposal to build new fairgrounds and a multi-event center at Durango Mesa Park. The project carried an estimated price tag of at least $80 million.
Davis, the project architect, said she and Petty are looking to make recommendations by the end of the year for smaller-scale improvements to the facilities.
The 32-acre site in Durango is home to the annual La Plata County Fair, slated to kick off Wednesday, and also hosts rodeos, large-scale expos, ballgames and concerts. Also home to the local Colorado State University Extension Office and 4-H program, the fairgrounds are considered an epicenter of the agricultural and rural community in the county.
“(We’re) trying to identify some manageable projects and a master plan that is … scalable, and maybe more manageable in the short-term,” she said.
Several attendees of Thursday’s meeting noted how difficult the fairgrounds can be to navigate in trucks pulling large trailers. Davis said it is a priority to address circulation, as well as the lack of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in some facilities.
Planners will have a booth at the fair, and are also accepting input from the public through a survey accessible at lpcfairgroundsmp.com.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
