Planning commission approves five-year campus master-plan update for Marshall Fairgrounds; Expo building and horse arena included in long-term concept

The Plant Commission on Tuesday approved a five-year campus master-plan update for the Marshall Fairgrounds that lays out short-term maintenance items and a long-term concept for multiple new structures, including a proposed Expo Building with roughly 19,000 square feet of column-free event space inside a roughly 36,500-square-foot gross floor area and a proposed horse arena of about 26,000 square feet.

Planner Bryce Hamburg described the plan as a tool to anticipate needs and reduce repeated conditional-use requests: "If a project is listed in a campus master plan, it can be administratively approved," he said. The packet shows phased work: relocating and expanding the Knoll Building (phase 1), removal of remaining buildings and utility relocations (phase 2), then a roughly 12-month construction period for the new Expo Building with concurrent construction of paved parking lots. Hamburg said near-term work focuses on maintenance; the larger Expo and arena projects are presented as long-term (20-year) concepts but were included for commission review so staff and stakeholders could anticipate parking, stormwater and other infrastructure needs.

Public commenters raised dust, traffic and neighborhood impacts. Janice Fraunheim, a nearby resident at 412 E. 14th Street, asked where the new building would sit and emphasized chronic dust problems from grass/gravel parking and an unpaved access (Vine) that affects nearby houses. Her husband, Dave Hirsch, described visibility and health concerns from dust and recounted prior mitigation efforts. Hamburg said the campus plan shows that several parking areas south of E. 14th Street and in the northeast corner would be paved as projects progress, which should reduce dust though it may not eliminate it.

Dale Christiansen, identified in the meeting as the fair executive, told the commission there is an operational plan to address dust this summer and that the parking area “would be blacktop” under the proposed plan. "There is a plan to, as we move forward this current summer to take care of some of that dust problem," Christiansen said. Justin Caspersen of Parks, Recreation and Forestry also attended for questions.

Commission discussion included the appropriateness of showing 20-year projects in a five-year update; staff said the city requires a five-year update but commissions sometimes include longer-term concepts so the city can anticipate infrastructure needs. Commissioner questions focused on financing and project priority; Christiansen said funding and building life-expectancy (noting the Lane Building and Junior Fair Expo Building need repair) drive prioritization. The commission voted in favor of the campus master-plan update; the roll call was Piles yes, Frederick yes, Bernardi yes, Caprillion yes, Council member Norman O'Reilly no, and Mayor T. Scribe yes. The motion carried.