State break grounds on new food hall and agriculture buildings at fairgrounds

Bill Bush, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·4 min read
The state broke ground Monday on a new agricultural building, shown here in a rendering, at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds.
The state broke ground Monday on a new agricultural building, shown here in a rendering, at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds.
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After almost five years of planning, the state began construction Monday on its vision for the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds by breaking ground on a new food hall and agricultural educational building.

“There is so much to enjoy at the Ohio State Fair, and the enhancements to these spectacular fairgrounds will make the experience even better,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release.

“These projects will preserve the historic beauty and character of the fairgrounds, while also adding modern improvements that showcase everything great about our state.”

The Ohio Showcase building, as seen in a rendering, will include a food hall and other uses, at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds.
The Ohio Showcase building, as seen in a rendering, will include a food hall and other uses, at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds.

The new Ohio Showcase Building will house a food hall and exhibit space to tell the story of Ohio’s people, land, communities and innovation, according to the governor's office. The hall will house six restaurants/vendors that will offer dishes from throughout Ohio, with indoor and outdoor dining space. The building is slated for completion in 2026.

The new agriculture building will house the Taste of Ohio Café, with meals served by Ohio’s agricultural commodity groups. The building will also house the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Land & Living Exhibit as well as other agricultural exhibits.

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"The exhibit hall will feature more than 100,000 square feet of space for a variety of events," DeWine's office said in a news release.

Improvements planned for the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds include a new entrance, as seen in this rendering.
Improvements planned for the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds include a new entrance, as seen in this rendering.

The new buildings join other improvements to the 300-acre fairgrounds site recommended by the Expo 2050 Task Force created by DeWine in 2019, including:

  • A new entry gate and permanent ticket booths welcoming visitors from the main north parking lots between the fairgrounds and Historic Crew Stadium site.

  • Gathering space at a new "town square" at the center of the fairgrounds with additional food, rest areas and children's activities.

  • Underground infrastructure improvements including internet connectivity, storm and sewer systems and electrical access.

  • Landscape improvements including a new pathway through the fairgrounds.

“Our partners and stakeholders have a deep and rich connection with the fairgrounds,” Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds Executive Director Adam Heffron said in a news release. “Since I started in this role in March, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with many of these partners, and it is clear that this facility holds a special place in their hearts.”

The state once again left out any mention of Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's proposed city sports park at the Historic Crew Stadium. Announced by Ginther and other city officials as a done deal in December 2018, the city sports park — with planned playing fields and an indoor recreation center — was billed as a key community benefit to building a new Crew soccer stadium Downtown.

But long after the new Lower.com Field was under construction in the Arena District, the city's plans to develop the fairgrounds land controlled by the state since 1886 ran into challenges, in part because the board that controls the fairgrounds never agreed to the plan.

Ginther originally said the park would serve more than 200,000 people who live within 3 miles of the site, and would include indoor community spaces, eight indoor basketball courts, a full-size indoor soccer field, at least six outdoor public athletic fields, and additional green space.

The current state master plan for the fairgrounds development shows Phase 1 of the state design reserving for the fairgrounds all of the roughly 17.3 acres of what are currently parking lots that the city had wanted for the park. It also enhances the lots with a new north side gateway entrance to welcome visitors to the fairgrounds.

The original vision for the recreation park on the site of Mapfre Stadium
The original vision for the recreation park on the site of Mapfre Stadium

In December 2022 the governor signaled that the city project, which was also backed by the Columbus Partnership, still could happen.

"I'm someone who always tries to get things worked out," DeWine said at the time. "We have certainly an interest. The Crew does; certainly, the mayor does. And we're trying to figure out a way basically to accommodate everyone."

When Ginther launched a major renovation of an existing city sports park near Westerville last October, he held out hope that the fairgrounds sports park could still be realized.

But the city Development and Recreation departments "are not aware of any progress of placing elements of the community sports park at the Ohio Expo Center location," Ginther spokesperson Melanie Crabill said in an email Tuesday, referring questions to the governor's office.

DeWine's office didn't immediately respond when asked if the latest fairground plans mean the city project is officially dead.

wbush@gannett.com

@ReporterBush

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Work starts on new ag building, food hall at fairgrounds