ARPA Funds Take Aim at Stormwater Drainage for Fonner Park Campus

Grand Island, Neb. — Rain is a good thing as they say, but when it falls in the amounts and timeframe it did in 2019, it can sure cause some major issues if not for proper infrastructure. This was demonstrated across all of Nebraska but for Nebraska State Fair Executive Director Jaime Parr, it was especially recognized on the Fonner Park campus.

At the time, Parr was serving as the Deputy Executive Director of the fair. That year, heavy rains forced the entire staff to act on their feet and quickly. Multiple outdoor concerts needed to be moved inside to the Heartland Events Center, parking lots dealt with excessive mud and poor conditions and a kayaker could even be seen floating down a ditch on the fairgrounds.

“Those types of things further illustrated the need to build on the foundation that Fonner Park had,” Parr said. “We had a strategic plan and a master plan that allowed us to be in a great position to apply for the ARPA funds.”

Initially, the Nebraska State Fair applied for $27 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, eventually gaining approval for $20 million. Alongside Olsson, the Fonner Park Campus entities have since been teaming up for a two-phase project to drastically improve stormwater drainage.

Phase 1 is mostly completed, as Olsson regraded the infield of the Fonner Park training track for concerts, moved motorsports outside, paved the driving aisle as well as enclosing the ditch on the west side of the animal buildings. Furthermore, Olsson installed brand new underground detention systems on site to hold stormwater and connect with the city system.

What is now visible is Phase 2 of the project, which includes major improvements to the south parking lot of Fonner Park where most of the vendors reside during the fair. Olsson is repaving the lot, adding new concrete and storm sewer work. They’re also improving lighting for the lot and will be adding newly-paved parking lots to the west side of the Fonner Park campus along with new sewer lines.

“You know, a lot of the things we do are under ground so you can’t see it,” Olsson Project Engineer Brian Friedrichsen said. “Having something out here today with new lighting and a new parking lot and not seeing water is great because when the project is all said and done, I can actually come out here and see what we have done.”

Funding for the final stages of the project is now the last part. Parr said the campus has used up the majority of the $20 million on approved projects and will now be seeking support for the approximately $1.5 million necessary to finish items not covered through the ARPA grant. Though a substantial amount of money, Parr says this $1.5 million is significantly lower than they previously anticipated thanks to some value-engineering along the way.

Ultimately, this project will benefit much more than the Nebraska State Fair, which is why all campus partners including Fonner Park, the Heartland Events Center and the newly-open Grand Island Casino Resort are taking part in the process. It’s a partnership that has gone well as the grounds continue to improve for the future.

“Obviously in the last 15-20 years, there have been new businesses that have evolved or emerged on our campus, and it’s important that we all get along,” Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak said.

“They’ve all been great to work with,” Friedrichsen added. “Communication is key with just that coordination back and forth. It can be stressful at times, but everyone works well together.”

For more information, please contact Nebraska State Fair Marketing Director Courtney Glock at [email protected] or by calling (308) 382-1620.