The Illinois State Fairgrounds Foundation is “up and running,” says John Slayton, US Bank vice president and foundation chairman. Gov. Bruce Rauner announced the new privately managed and funded foundation during the annual Ag Day Breakfast at the Illinois State Fair last summer.

Before work on the fairgrounds could begin, Slayton says the first order of business was applying for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which allows the foundation to accept tax-deductible donations. Support from Rauner and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, plus the overwhelming need for fairgrounds improvements, assures Slayton the approval will happen soon.

The next step was to elect an officer team, followed by searching for a part-time consultant with state government and foundation work experience.

The new officer team includes:
• Chairman John Slayton, US Bank
• Vice Chairman Julie Maschhoff, The Maschhoffs
• Secretary Holly Spangler, Prairie Farmer
• Treasurer Chandra Roberts, Brandt Specialty Formulations

Slayton adds that offers have been extended for the two remaining positions on the 11-member board.

After two meetings to officially establish a working foundation, the group is ready to tackle its purpose: restoring the fairgrounds.

The task at hand
“It’s just sad that these buildings have gone to this level of disrepair,” Slayton says. “There are 170-some buildings on the fairgrounds, and I’m guessing 170-some buildings need some sort of attention.”

The foundation will work with the IDOA and the state's Capital Development Board to determine priorities, Slayton explains, and buildings in the worst condition will top the list.

“The $180 million in deferred maintenance associated with the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds and the Illinois State Fairgrounds is well documented,” says Rebecca Clark, IDOA communications manager. “With that said, the department has conveyed that the Coliseum is among one of the top priorities in Springfield, while repairs to the grandstand tops the list in Du Quoin.”

The IDOA is working with the CDB on emergency repairs to the condemned Coliseum, Clark says. She adds the Coliseum will likely remain closed for the 2017 Illinois State Fair.

“We are in the process of finalizing plans to enclose the nearby practice arena to serve as an alternative location while the necessary repairs are made to the Coliseum,” Clark explains.

Slayton says the foundation discussed the 140-page engineering report, but the foundation’s specific role in restoring the Coliseum is yet to be determined.

Other action items may include fixing roofs on several buildings, like the swine and sheep barns. “Those roofs probably needed to be replaced in the '70s,” Slayton adds.

Moving from the rooftops to the ground below, Slayton says addressing the 2016 flooding is another priority. “The state lost five days of parking revenue in the grandstand infield due to heavy rainfall,” he explains. 

The foundation already has labor and material donors ready to tile the infield, but Slayton says they need blueprints and engineering maps to plan fully for the estimated $40,000 project. “That’s high on the list, even though the average fairgoer may not notice it,” he adds. 

Slayton says future flooding challengfares could be addressed by the 2017 Illinois State Fair once blueprints and donors are in place. “And hopefully we won’t get 5½ inches of rain,” he notes.

With so much deteriorated infrastructure, Slayton says efforts to maintain and restore the fairgrounds are long overdue. He hopes current and past 4-H participants, FFA members and fairgoers, as well as Illinois-based agricultural companies, step forward with financial support. 

“There are a lot of potential donors in Illinois,” he says. “The support is out there, and it will come with time.”

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