GEDDES, N.Y. — A $34.7 million project representing the fourth phase of improvements at the New York State Fairgrounds is underway in Geddes.

The effort targets improvements to the agricultural facilities, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Aug. 24 on opening day at the Fairgrounds.

Hochul cut the ribbon at a ceremony celebrating the opening and full return of the 2022 New York State Fair, which concluded on Labor Day. 

The project, already underway and to be completed in 2025, is “highlighted” by a 1.5-acre greenhouse, which will be located near the Exposition Center, Hochul’s office said. It also includes a new show space for goats, a new sheep barn and wool center, a new horse barn, a new concession stand, streetscape improvements to Restaurant Row, the Fair’s street of permanent concession buildings, and various infrastructure improvements. 

These improvements build on more than $125 million in renovations and new construction since 2015, which marked the first significant investment in the 132-year-old fairgrounds in more than 80 years, Hochul’s office said.

“I couldn’t be happier to be celebrating the full return of our New York State Fair this year, and today, I am excited to begin nearly $35 million in improvements that will help make the Great New York State Fair even greater,” Hochul said. “The upgrades we are making today will showcase and promote New York’s one-of-a-kind agricultural industry, as we continue to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country to the Fair each year.” 

Hochul’s remarks came during Governor’s Day, the traditional opening day of the Fair. She was also awarded the 4-H Distinguished Alumni Medallion, an honor given to an “accomplished alumnus who embodies the life-changing impact of 4-H,” her office said. 

Hochul, who participated in Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program throughout her childhood, is the first sitting governor to receive this award, it added. 

Project descriptions

The $34.7 million project to improve agricultural facilities at the New York State Fair Grounds includes: 

Greenhouse and Horticultural Education Center 

When complete, the one-and-a-half to two-acre greenhouse will be a “state-of-the-art,” glass-structure facility, powered by solar panels and including a rainwater-collection filtration system. 

It will allow for the on-site growing of local New York products and provide food and flowers for use during the Fair, Hochul’s office said. The greenhouse will double as an educational center, with a classroom area for students and opportunities for young people to participate in agricultural demonstrations. 

Sheep barn and wool center 

The 15,000-square-foot sheep barn replaces an “old and damaged” structure that has since been torn down, Hochul’s office said. 

Sheep have been displayed in a tent in the last two years. The wool center is staffed by volunteers who educate the public about wool products and their uses. 

A new center will be located inside the sheep barn, bringing the two elements under one roof “for the first time.” This new building is scheduled to open in time for the 2024 Fair. 

Horse stables and goat pavilion

Crews will build three 9,000-square-foot stables to supplement the Fair’s existing, older stables. The Fairgrounds hosts horse shows almost weekly in the spring, summer and fall, with its stables in “nearly constant use.” They are expected to open for the 2024 Fair. 

The 2,500-square-foot goat pavilion will now be solar powered and serve as an open-air space for goat shows, replacing temporary facilities. It is scheduled to open in 2023. 

Concessions building, Restaurant Row improvements 

Crews will also build a 1,600-square-foot concession stand along Cayuga Avenue on the Fairgrounds, “the first new such stand built in decades,” Hochul’s office said. 

It will be the home of Tully’s Good Times, a regional restaurant and “popular longtime Fair vendor.” 

Improvements are also slated for the area of the Fair’s other permanent stands, called Restaurant Row. The work will target new lighting and landscaping, as well as improvements to select vendor spaces.