Peter Cownie, executive director of the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundtion, recently told IARN affiliate KMA that the new facility will provide multiple upgrades over the current 23-year old building.

“It’ll be much bigger, twice as big, with new LED lighting, with greater ADA accessibility, because it was very difficult to get into this area in the past,” Cownie said. “It’s going to have more landscaping to beautify the area, and it’ll have a new wall structure around it that had started to fall apart.”

Cownie says crews began demolition work in January. The older facility was 2,700 square feet, while the new shelter house will be just over 5,000 square feet. Cownie says the facility will also serve as one of the few buildings on the fairgrounds that can house multiple functions during and between fair seasons.

“This is only facility on the grounds for those 11 days that really can be rented out and used for a family, a family reunion, a company retreat, or company celebration, and those sorts of things,” Cownie said. “It’s really a workhorse in that regard for those 11 days, as well as in the interim it can be used, I call it an indoor/outdoor facility so to speak with a covered roof.”

Cownie says the hope is to have the new facility ready by the 2022 Fair in August, despite some of the setbacks construction projects have faced around the country.

“You know there are obviously supply chain issues out there, and you can’t control the weather, but we’ve already done some demo work and we’re in the bidding process right now, so we feel pretty good about where we’re at,” Cownie said. “There are a lot of different facilities out here over 50 buildings that we’re always tinkering and making things better, but we’re going to get it done, and get it ready.”

The new shelter house would also host events such as the fair’s Legislative Day, featuring Iowa lawmakers, and the “Sale of Champions” event. The $1 million contribution from Alliant Energy is expected to cover the entire cost of the renovation project.