The Nebraska Legislature's Agriculture Committee recommended on Monday that the Nebraska State Fair be moved to Grand Island, leaving Lincoln's State Fair Park up for grabs for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Ag Committee voted 7-1 to advance LB1116 to the full Legislature, which will discuss the issue on Thursday. LB1116 would require the fair to be moved from State Fair Park to Fonner Park in Grand Island no later than 2010.
LB1116 reflects an agreement between the State Fair Board, the City of Grand Island and the University of Nebraska.
For a year and a half, NU has expressed an interest in acquiring State Fair Park to build a research and development campus. The cost of building the campus, which is called Nebraska Innovation Park, is estimated to be about $300 million in public funds.
Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber, the only committee member to oppose advancing the bill, said he thought NU would have a hard time getting the money needed to build Innovation Park.
Karpisek also said he has always vowed to try to keep the State Fair at its current location.
Members of the committee acknowledged how difficult it has been to reach a compromise between the groups involved. It's been so difficult, Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said he was going to contact President George W. Bush and suggest that committee chairman Sen. Phil Erdman of Bayard help with negotiations in the Middle East.
"(LB1116) isn't my doing, this is their doing," Erdman said of the groups involved.
Moving the fair to Grand Island will cost about $42 million, with the majority of funds coming from the university. Under LB1116, the university will pay $21.5 million, Grand Island will pay $8.5 million, the State Fair Board will contribute $7 million and the State of Nebraska will pay $5 million.
The $21.5 million will come from the University of Nebraska Foundation, Erdman said.
After the committee's recommendation, NU President J.B. Milliken said in a news release: "By voting to make property next to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln available ... the committee recognized that the best use of this land is to encourage innovation, research and private investment that can create new jobs for Nebraska."
Gov. Dave Heineman also supports the committee's recommendation.
KATIESTEINER@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
