Arapahoe Fairgrounds and Regional Park Master Plan

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds
And Regional Park Master Plan

As Arapahoe County reviewed the purpose and goals of its Fairgrounds and Regional Park, it realized the need to develop a Master Plan that would guide decisions when considering future growth opportunities. The Fairgrounds and Regional Park, located at 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora, is the permanent home of the annual Arapahoe County Fair. The 45,000 square-foot events/exhibition center, which is the first building of several planned for the 236-acre site, is designed to serve a variety of functions in addition to the County Fair, such as meetings, graduations, science fairs, seminars, receptions, conferences and exhibits. Approximately 100 acres adjacent to the Fairgrounds is planned for open space, parks and trails. To learn more about the Fairgrounds, visit the County’s web site.

Below is an aerial of most of the Fairgrounds and Regional Park property.

Arapahoe County has contracted with the Project Team of BHA Design, Inc., Markin Consulting, Hnedak Bobo Group, Martin/Martin and Hankard Environmental to develop a long-range master plan for the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds and Regional Park (the ACFRP). The master planning process includes a number of key steps, including stakeholder/public input and comments, assessment of future needs of the County's resident population for park and event facilities, exploration of innovative integration of open spaces with event facilities, and recommendation of financially and environmentally viable alternatives for the future of the ACFRP.

This website will be maintained throughout the course of the planning process to provide progress reports of the planning process, to publish key findings and issues discovered during the planning process and to keep everyone aware of upcoming milestones, reports and public meetings. We invite you to visit this site frequently for the most up-to-date information on our progress.

Study Highlights

The study kicked off with on-site meetings, interviews and public open houses on March 2, 3 and 4. The consultants met with over 60 people representing a wide range of governmental agencies, businesses, current and prospective users, community advocates, staff and others. Over 30 people turned out for the two public meetings to give their input and ideas for the master plan.

Some of the ideas for use of the Fairgrounds included equine events and shows, dog shows, rodeos, mass attendance events, meetings, banquets, 4-H activities, Master Gardener classes, graduations, Arapahoe County Extension and others. Facility ideas for the Fairgrounds included an indoor arena, more exhibition space, more livestock areas, RV sites, sports fields and others.

Ideas for the Regional Park included trails (horse, walking, biking), interpretive and educational areas, picnic areas, pavilion, arboretum and regional trail tie-ins.

If you missed the public meetings, you can still provide your ideas by clicking HERE and completing an on-line survey.

Key Dates

A tentative date for presentation of the recommended master plan to the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners is July 21, 2009. Check back for any updates to this presentation.

If you would like to receive e-mail notification of key dates, including public meetings, enter your e-mail address and press submit.

Comments

Should you have any comments or questions concerning the study, fill in the following and press submit.

Project Team

The Project Team for this study is comprised of BHA Design, Inc. as the Lead Consultant and Hnedak Bobo Group, Markin Consulting, Martin/Martin and Hankard Environmental.

BHA Design, Inc. is a Fort Collins-based landscape architect and land planning company that specializes in parks and open space developments. BHA provides sign design, image development, landscape architecture, master planning, urban design, public process, entitlements and architectural illustration services to both public and private clients in a variety of settings.

Hnedak Bobo specializes in the master planning and design of fairgrounds, equestrian facilities, arenas, exhibition buildings and event complexes. Hnedak Bobo of Knoxville, Tennessee is internationally recognized for master planning and design of fairgrounds, equestrian and exposition centers. They have completed more than 150 master plans for fairgrounds in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Scotland and Australia.

Markin Consulting is a national consulting firm that specializes in a broad range of consulting services to the amusement and recreation industry. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the firm has a major emphasis and large practice serving the fair and fairground industry. Founded in May 1990, Markin Consulting has conducted over 80 studies for fairgrounds, equestrian facilities, arenas, amphitheaters, museums, convention facilities, tourism attractions, horse racetracks, and motor sports facilities.

Martin/Martin is based in Lakewood, Colorado and specializes in civil and structural engineering, as well as survey work for a wide variety of developments. They have recently completed work for Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Louisville Recreation Center, Pioneer Park and Roosevelt Park.

Hankard Environmental, with offices in Colorado and Wisconsin, will provide assistance with external noise issues related to the master plan.

Contact Information

BHA Design, Inc. - Roger Sherman, 970-223-7577

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds - Jim Abendschan, 303-795-4955

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds
And Regional Park Master Plan