News
Date: October 8th 2007 Project: Alachua and Davis County Fairground Master Plans
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – HOK Sport Venue Event’s newest affiliate, HOK Smith Forkner, has secured two major county fair master plan projects.
In Gainesville, Fla., HOK Smith Forkner is working with the Alachua County Board of Commissioners to relocate the existing fairgrounds. The new site will become a significant part of a commercial corridor development. The 120-acre fairground site plan also would include a multipurpose arena/coliseum.
“This is an exciting and ambitious undertaking. We are meeting with 30-plus user groups and stakeholders to assess the needs and pulse of the community,” said Charlie Smith, AIA, HOK Smith Forkner principal. Smith is working with his partner and fellow principal, David Forkner, on a market analysis and feasibility study.
The plan will move forward pending approval of a one-cent sales tax increase later this fall.
More than 2,000 miles away, the firm also is starting work on the Davis County Fair master plan in Farmington, Utah. This study is the third fairgrounds project that Forkner and Smith have worked with in the state of Utah.
A new legacy highway has been proposed adjacent to the current location of the Davis County Fair. Smith and Forkner are developing concepts to determine if the fair can continue to exist on the site once the highway has been completed, or if relocation will be required. Smith and Forkner attended the recent fair to assess the layout, attendance and crowd circulation. The study is 30 percent complete.
“Both of these projects are key projects as HOK Smith Forkner continues to expand its presence in the fairground market,” said Smith. “Both offer unique challenges, and we look forward to working with our clients to create a better fair experience for their patrons.”
For further information please contact
Gina Leo at HOK Sport (Kansas City)
Telephone: +1 816 221 1500
Facsimile: +1 816 221 1578
Email media@hoksve.com