SEDALIA, Mo. — At the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Gov. Jay Nixon announced roughly $4 million in upgrades to the property through the Build Missouri initiative.
Nixon’s office stressed that the improvements come as part of the Democratic governor’s own proposal, noting that Build Missouri was “called for by the Governor in his State of the State Address and passed with bi-partisan support in the General Assembly of this year.”
The Missouri State Fair Woman’s Building will see a new roof and new exterior windows, renovations to restrooms and interior finishes and repairs and upgrades to electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, as well as making the building more accessible to those with disabilities. The building was originally constructed in 1910.
“The Missouri State Fair is an enduring tradition and the premier agricultural showcase for our state, and we have a responsibility to leave these fairgrounds better than we found them,” Nixon said in a release. “These upgrades, made possible thanks to our strict fiscal discipline and the bipartisan work in the General Assembly, will improve the fairgrounds and ensure that they continue to showcase the very best of Missouri agriculture now and for generations to come.”
The Missouri State Fair Coliseum — which dates back to 1906 —upgrades are scheduled for the roof, gutters, masonry, and exterior wooden surfaces. The building will have new siding, new exterior door frames and exhaust fans, new handrails on ramps, a new wheelchair lift, removing and replacing of concrete floors, and upgrading emergency lighting.
Build Missouri is a broader initiative aimed at capital improvements for state parks, college campuses, and more. It’s the same program — largely through bond proceeds — that is largely responsible for the funds for the new mental hospital currently underway in Fulton.
The 113th Missouri State Fair will be held August 13-23 in Sedalia and is themed “Show Offs Welcome!”
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
