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What Should City Do With Aging Fairgrounds?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - What should Nashville do with the aging state fairgrounds?

It's a question many people think they know how to answer.

Friday was the deadline for ideas to be submitted to those who will ultimately make a decision on how to change or move the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, which includes the 50-year-old Music City Motorplex.

"My uncle raced here in the 60's," said Randy Giles. "I got to come with him. And I can remember the last time Richard Petty won, the last race I think Jeff Bodine won."

But the track and the state fairgrounds are starting to look their age.

"It's got to improve in so many ways facility wise and otherwise," said Buck Dozier, state fairgrounds executive director.

He and the fair board have asked a consultant to look into the possibility of moving the fair and motorplex or making major changes to them.

"I think it would appear with time that we have not stayed with the times," he said. "So now it's time to really look and see if it stays here or goes somewhere else."

Friday was the last day local developers and the public got a chance to weigh in.

"The public gave us over 600 ideas," Dozier said.

"I think a restaurant district would be kind of interesting," said Clay Kelton, who lives a few blocks from the fairgrounds.

He said a lot of people suggested a town square on the property.

Many neighbors such as Kelton aren't too picky about the changes- just as long as they're good ones.

"There's so much potential to create something that's beautiful both for the neighborhood and for the city. It's very exciting," Kelton said. "Hopefully, something good will happen."

But Giles and others said something good has been happening there for the last 50 years.

"I hope there's a way it can stay," he said. "There's a lot of racing left here."

Consultants will present a final list of recommendations to the Tennessee State Fair Board sometime in the next month or two.