As work on a master plan for the Flathead County Fairgrounds continues, a picture is beginning to emerge of what the facility could look like one day.

A big question still on the horizon is whether the horse-racing track in front of the grandstand should stay or be removed for a higher and better use — namely, for parking.

The county commissioners met with the Fair Board last week for a work session and an update of the master planning process.

Two years ago, the county hired Populous, a Tennessee-based consulting firm with worldwide expertise in fairgrounds design, to study the local fairgrounds and develop some concepts for future design changes around which Flathead County could develop a master plan for the roughly 56-acre facility.

Among Populous’ conceptual components were the removal of the horse-racing track and barns and replacing the space with parking lots. The study indicated insufficient onsite parking near major facilities on the grounds.

“Taking out the track is still a major decision to be made,” Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell stressed.

It’s not something that would need to be decided immediately, though.

“The phasing of this [master plan] has not been decided, other than we recognize and appreciate the support of the infrastructure plan,” Campbell said.

The master plan is still in the throes of being completed. 

Late last year, Campbell asked the commissioners to use $25,000 from the capital improvements set aside for the fairgrounds to hire an outside consultant to complete the plan. The commissioners instead directed him to use existing staffers to complete the task, which has extended the time frame for finishing the master plan.

The commissioners have committed to roughly $1 million worth of infrastructure improvements over the next two years.

About $722,000 is earmarked in this year’s budget for a storm-water system, electrical upgrades, water distribution and sewer improvements and placement of utilities underground where applicable. Those improvements are generally south of the Trade Center; the second phase will focus on projects north of the Trade Center.

“The race track [removal] is a component that could be phased for five to eight years from now,” Campbell said.

Commissioner Cal Scott said the first priority for the county must be basic infrastructure improvements. Without those upgrades nothing else can happen “or you’re doing Band-Aid fixes,” he said.

Understanding “the sensitivity to the race track, with my limited knowledge, I’m not too sure long-track racing will come back to the degree it has been in past,” Scott said. “I’m not too sure the long track is maybe necessary for the future.”

Horse racing has been sidelined in recent years because financially it has been a losing proposition for the county. Private supporters sponsored horse races during the fair two years ago but haven’t been able to sustain the program.

Sue Austin of Kalispell, a member of the state Board of Horse Racing, told the commissioners and Fair Board about how successful four days of horse racing were in Great Falls during July. Cascade County put up $50,000 — $20,000 to the Great Falls Turf Club for running the races and $30,000 in purse money — and in turn collected the concessions revenue.

“They hit a major home run,” Austin said. “The track got back over $70,000.”

Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she’s not convinced the local race track should be taken out right now.

“I’m hopeful something could happen,” Holmquist said. “The Fair Board should chat with Great Falls to see what they did. I would like to see more vetting on that. I like the relay races.”

The fair has a long tradition of staging the relay races, former called the Indian Relay Races.

Other conceptual improvements for the fairgrounds include the eventual removal of the food stands and construction of a new food court, plus construction of a new companion building for the Trade Center.

Some large events have outgrown the Trade Center, and having an adjoining building would allow the fairgrounds to bring in bigger events, Campbell said.

“We want to make our spaces as multipurpose as possible,” he said.

An enhanced pedestrian mall, perimeter landscaping, walking trails, more clearly defined entrance gates and a new covered show arena with a warm-up ring and horse stall barn are other conceptual components outlined by Populous.

Another idea that has been bounced around is closing off West Wyoming Street to allow safer connectivity between the north parking areas and the fairgrounds. In that scenario, motorists would be routed on Seventh Avenue West to West Colorado Street. Closing off a street would require approval from the city of Kalispell.

Holmquist said her primary concern is that the fairgrounds maintains its primary use as a facility for the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo.

The fair brings in $762,000 annually, while non-fair revenue is $271,000. But with expenditures, special assessments and allocation to the capital improvement fund, the fairgrounds’ net proceeds is “$47,000 to the good,” Campbell said.

“We do a lot of work to earn that $47,000,” he added.

Commissioner Gary Krueger said he sees the need to complete the master plan and asked Campbell what it would take to bring the plan from the conceptual stage to final completion.

Campbell said if an outside consultant could handle the design and cost figures beyond the conceptual stage, the master plan probably could be completed in three to four months.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.