RV park at Cleveland County Fairgrounds undergoing renovations

May 30—Ongoing updates to a local RV park could help boost lodging, tourism and events at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, county leaders say.

After completing an add-on to the show barn and additional parking on the east side of the fairgrounds, crews are now working toward having 60 full-service sites with electricity, water and sewer, nearly doubling the amount of sites at the fairgrounds' RV park.

County Commissioner Darry Stacy said the RV park has seen significant success, and as travelers increasingly come to Cleveland County for events, it's important to have an area to effectively and comfortably accommodate them.

As visitors come from all over the country to livestock shows and other showcases common at the fairgrounds, Stacy said many of them are looking for a place to stay on site.

"It's been long overdue, and the dollars that we get from that facility go directly back into the fairgrounds improvement fund," Stacy said.

Stacy said crews recently finished plumbing work, and electrical modifications will follow. He anticipates the infrastructure phase will be completed over the summer and discussions surrounding architecture and engineering will follow.

With limited RV spots around Norman, Dan Schemm, executive director of Visit Norman, said the "timing on the improvements to the RV park is great."

RV reservations at Lake Thunderbird are booked out for weeks, further illustrating the county's need for renovations and additional spaces, Schemm said.

"That's a skip hop and a jump away from downtown and Campus Corner, so the ability for people to stay in their RV but then come out to experience Norman is outstanding," Schemm said.

In addition to the money generated for the fairgrounds via campsite rental, Schemm estimates RV travelers spend around $75 on food and drink, $35 on retail and $25 on entertainment per day, a "conservative estimation," according to Schemm.

Schemm said the renovations will further ensure that travelers consider staying in Norman rather than opting for a different park in another city.

"For the county to renovate their facility and make it a better experience means that we're going to get more visitors to come to Norman and spend their money here," Schemm said.

Already completed at the Porter Avenue entrance to the fairgrounds is a new archway fabricated by Oklahoma Correctional Industries, a private entity that works within the state government to provide skills and work for successful rehabilitation of offenders.

Additional restrooms and a small dog park and playground area are among the most-discussed options for fairgrounds improvements.

Stacy said the county's choices of what to add and renovate depend on multi-use functionality.

"The restrooms, for example, are something that is greatly needed for the Cleveland County Fair, so that we have the ability to expand access to our fair patrons," Stacy said.

He said a playground area would serve not only visitors who bring an RV to the fairgrounds but families coming to the fairgrounds for showcases and other events,

"You may have one child that's showing goats, and that family has two or three other kids, and the playground would give them an opportunity for recreation during that event," Stacy said.

Cookout areas could be used for food vendors and trucks during fair season, another multi-use benefit from renovations, Stacy said.

Stacy said input from the public, fair board and staff is key in the decision making process, and all parties seem optimistic as events increase at the fairgrounds.

"I think we've come up with something pretty spectacular that's really going to take Cleveland County to the next level with our fairgrounds," Stacy said.

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.