Kootenai County fairgrounds proposes 20-year lease

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County commissioners will consider a multi-decade lease for the fairgrounds.

Alexcia Jordan, general manager and CEO of the North Idaho State Fair, has asked commissioners for a 20-year lease agreement between the fair board and the county, with two 10-year optional renewal periods. The proposed lease includes a provision to reserve 7 acres for future expansion of Kootenai County facilities.

“As we’ve discussed in the past, that’s always been the acreage that you guys have hoped for or asked for,” Jordan told commissioners Tuesday.

The request came amid rumors that the fairgrounds might relocate. Jordan said these rumors have created uncertainty in the community and among potential donors who are considering investing in improvements to buildings and the infrastructure at the fairgrounds.

“We’ve completed a master plan with high hopes to launch a capital campaign and need assurance that the current location of the fairgrounds will remain our long-term home,” she told commissioners during a May 7 meeting.

Commissioner Bruce Mattare said any lease agreement should include provisions allowing commissioners to expand facilities beyond seven acres if needed.

“I understand what you’re trying to accomplish with this, which is to have some stability so that meaningful investment can be made in the infrastructure and the buildings,” he said. “But with that said, no one can really tell what the county’s needs are going to be that far in the future. We don’t want to restrict ourselves if we need a larger footprint, if the jail has to be expanded, something like that.”

Jordan has expressed concerns about the impact of moving the fairgrounds in the future.

In May, during the annual Farm to Table event attended by about 2,000 area fifth-graders, she told The Press that the fairgrounds are integral to educating communities about agriculture and maintaining North Idaho’s traditions and culture. She said the centralized location in Coeur d’Alene is what makes it possible for the fairgrounds to serve the community.

Jordan said Tuesday that she’d like to see a decision made on the long-term lease agreement by mid-August.

“It would be great to get this wrapped up before the fair happens, if possible,” she said.

The North Idaho Fair Board is expected to meet with commissioners in the coming weeks to discuss the proposal, the fair board’s master plan and the improvement plans under consideration by investors.