Would a developer want to lease the Tennessee State Fairgrounds for 25 years or more, improve the facilities there, maintain the existing uses and build around them while sharing some of the revenues with the owner, Metro government?
Councilman Duane Dominy wants to find out.
Dominy has introduced legislation that would have Metro’s fair board put out a request for information by Jan. 1 to “gauge interest from the private sector regarding the future operation of the fairgrounds property.” He said today that the two “extremes” that could come out of an ongoing master plan for the property would either maintain it exclusively with tax dollars or do away with the existing uses and redevelop it (as Mayor Karl Dean unsuccessfully tried to do nearly two years ago).
Dominy said neither of those scenarios would be “appropriate” for the fairgrounds, so he wants to see what else is possible.
“We ought to at least pursue it to see what’s out there,” he said.
Nashville residents voted overwhelmingly last year to make it more difficult to redevelop the fairgrounds. Two-thirds of the council now must agree to do something else with the property before the city can get rid of the racetrack, state fair, flea market or expo center.
