ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In 2024, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gave a bombshell announcement when she said she wanted to redo the state fairgrounds with something new, possibly moving the state fair somewhere else.

Now that the state is almost one step closer to being able to answer some of the questions.  

“I want New Mexicans to know that we don’t take this lightly. We’re very excited about the project, and we’re all a part of it,” said Anna Silva, acting secretary of the New Mexico General Services Department. 

To know the state fairgrounds is to love the state fairgrounds. 

“It’s something that we all look forward to, something that I’ve looked forward to every year since I was little,” said Silva. 

Now, Silva has a front row seat to Expo New Mexico’s changing future.  

“We want to maximize space, maximize the land, determine whether or not its current location is the best for the fair,” Silva said.

The General Services Department has an active request for proposal for a master planner to make that decision. 

The state wants the planner to address five main issues: 

• Facilities and infrastructure
• Economic impact
• Programming
• Land use
• Operations

“The first fair opened in 1938 and so that’s how old the infrastructure is. So we’re hoping that the master planner, whomever we bring on board, has experience with aging infrastructure, aging fairs, and what the benefits have been from any opportunities that they have seen in relocating fairs,” said Silva.

The request mentions “there is substantial potential to increase the usage of the State Fairgrounds on a year-round basis.”

“This is a huge project, and yeah, the sky’s the limit,” said Silva.

Silva says the addition of housing on the 236 acres isn’t out of the question. 

“It is part of the table, part of what’s on the table, so it could be, yes,” Silva said. 

New Mexicans can expect to have plenty of opportunities to weigh in on the site’s future. 

“State fair is a part of us, and we want them to be a part of the process as well,” said Silva.

The request for proposal closes on April 18. Once the state chooses a master planner, there will be site visits, facility assessments, and public meetings where folks can give community input.

Meanwhile, a bill awaiting the governor’s signature will create a special district for the state fairgrounds. It’s set to raise $500 million in bonds for public infrastructure projects to improve the area.