Fairgrounds up for sale

Article source • October 13th, 2009 • The Coast Report News, Andy Nguyen, Views Editor

Coast’s use and the future of the property remains uncertain.

The Orange County Fairgrounds has been put up for sale by the State of California in an attempt to offset the rising state deficit.

The sale of the 150-acre site was authorized by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this year and the California Department of General Services followed up when it released a Request for Proposals outlining the sale of the fairgrounds.

Photo by Peter Bicknell Orange County Fairgrounds

The governor’s office has estimated the site could sell for $96 million to $180 million.

However, news of the fairgrounds being put on the auction block isn’t good to some people, including some in the city and at Orange Coast College.

According to Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley, if the fairgrounds were sold to developers it would have a negative impact on the city.

“I support that the property remain a fair and an exhibition center and it’s not a good thing that it’s been put up for sale,” Foley said. “It’s time for the community to speak loud and clear on what they want with the fairgrounds.”

A spokesperson for the OC Fair and Event Center said that it’s too early for bids on the fairgrounds to come in and that a non-profit foundation has been organized to submit a bid in an effort to keep the fairgrounds under local control.

OCC’s director of communications and marketing Jeff Hobbs said the campus has a deal with the fairgrounds allowing students to use the area as an overflow parking lot in return for fair employees parking at OCC during the Orange County Fair.

Although it’s still unknown how the sale will affect Coast’s use of the fairgrounds for overflow parking, Hobbs said that it will be affected in some way.

Parties interested in purchasing the fairgrounds will have until Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. to submit bids. Any bids received after that date will be rejected.

The state has the right to reject any offers if it finds them not in the best interests of the state. The property will be sold as is and will include profit participation as a deed restriction in the event any portion of it is ever developed or used for anything other than its current use as a fair and event center.