By RFD Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – The new state budget is providing first aid to the ailing Illinois State Fairgrounds. $30 million will go toward repairs at the Fairgrounds.
“We just want to thank the governor for putting it in the budget and recognizing how important the Fairgrounds is to Illinois agriculture,” said Illinois Director of Agriculture Raymond Poe. “Which is the number one industry in Illinois. We’re all excited. We’re still working with CDB and figuring out all this and where we’re going.”
Poe was referring to the State Capitol Development Board. Among the top issues on the to do list, is repairing the shuttered Coliseum, which was closed because of structural concerns. Poe said combining a reopened Coliseum with the new covered arena next door will pay off.
“I really feel confident that years from now we’ll have this coliseum open and by having this fixed up we’re just going to give it so many more options,” Poe said. “We’ll probably have more horse shows going on at one time. Probably, in the end it’s going to work out for the best but it sure didn’t seem like it for a while.”
Coliseum repairs will cost an estimated $7.7 million.