Be Fair to the Fairgrounds

Councilman Crafton believes Fairgrounds should remain open


by Eric Crafton, Metro Councilman

I am sure most people have heard by now that Mayor Dean wants to close down the fairgrounds and have the property redeveloped as an office park or as a corporate headquarters by private business. HCA is one corporation that has expressed an interest in buying and redeveloping this property. While I would obviously be in favor of an "HCA-type" corporate expansion in Davidson County, I just don't feel that the fairgrounds is the right place for this to occur for a few reasons.

First, the original owners of the property gave it to Nashville for the express purpose of having a Tennessee State Fair and associated fairgrounds for exhibit space and other related activities. Later, a racetrack was built to help sustain interest and attendance at the fairgrounds. I can even remember as a child, riding the wooden roller coaster that once stood there with my grandmother. The point is that the fairground offers an entertainment venue everyone can enjoy, regardless of income level.

Also, many people, especially in today's economic climate can't afford Titans or Predators tickets. They may not be interested in seeing a show at TPAC or a performance at the Schermerhorn. At the fairgrounds people can pursue other interests like watching a car race, attending an antique show, entering a cake contest at the county fair or shopping at a flee market. While these activities may not seem as glamorous as going to the symphony and having dinner at The Palm afterwards, they are just as important to many people.

The major argument by Mayor Dean for closing the fairgrounds is because its reserve fund has gone down over the past few years. He also said that if the fairgrounds can't sustain itself financially, then we have to shut it down. Well, the reserve fund has gone down because many needed repairs and upgrades were completed the last few years. Money for the repairs was taken from the reserve fund, which is what the fund is for.

Furthermore, to say that something "must pay its own way without government help or else be shut down" is very disingenuous. Cases and points. This year the Metro Council passed a $15 million rent reduction for the Predators' ownership group because the team was losing money due to poor attendance. The Titans stadium debt is partially funded by a $4 million per year transfer payment from Metro Water; has anyone received his new storm water tax bill from Metro Water yet? Also, The Schermerhorn symphony hall received $4 million a year for four years to help pay for that project.

The point is even though the above-mentioned venues receive generous taxpayer support, and in most of those cases rightly so, comparatively speaking, the fairgrounds gets minimal governmental support, considering how many people spend time there; it is estimated that the attendance at the State Fair this year alone was the equivalent around two sold- out Titans games. The fairgrounds may not be a huge money-maker, although Buck Dozier, the person responsible for managing the fairgrounds says that next year with better weather, the Tennessee State Fair could produce enough revenue to have the fairgrounds "back in the black."

The fairgrounds park is a public place that thousands of people enjoy every year, and it should be protected and preserved. Government shouldn't take that away because the activities conducted there "aren't hip enough" or because private companies want the space for expansion purposes. If businesses want to expand in Nashville, do so on the 16 acres south of Broadway where a taxpayer-funded, billion-dollar convention center and hotel are planned to be built, not at the fair grounds.