Should the state fair grounds be home to a new arena? What about housing or a museum? All of those ideas made the cut when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office unveiled three conceptual plans for redeveloping the Albuquerque Fairgrounds in the International District today.
Stantec, a global design and engineering company hired by the state, presented the preliminary concepts intended to generate public feedback on the future of the 236-acre parcel, according to an announcement released Tuesday.
The announcement comes as state officials weigh whether to relocate the State Fair, which has anchored the site since 1938. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham set a March deadline to decide the fair’s future, raising questions about whether the 2025 fair could be Albuquerque’s last after 87 years.
All three concepts include mixed-use housing, entertainment venues, upgraded infrastructure and multiple acres of public green space, according to the release.
“These concepts represent a transformative vision for Albuquerque’s core — bringing parks, business, and modern infrastructure that will serve our families and communities for decades to come,” Lujan Grisham said in the release.
The first concept would preserve and upgrade the existing fairgrounds while adding a multipurpose event venue, mixed-use entertainment district, modern exhibition hall and 10 acres of park space.
The second concept proposes relocating the State Fair Midway to create space for an expanded neighborhood with an arena complex, entertainment district, exhibition hall and nine-acre park.
The most sweeping option, Concept 3, would relocate the State Fair entirely to make room for hundreds of homes, an innovation hub, event venue, walkable village and more than 20 acres of green space.
“These plans are the beginning of an exciting next chapter that will revitalize Albuquerque’s International District, create jobs, boost the economy and build a space that families will enjoy for generations,” said Rob Black, cabinet secretary of the Economic Development Department.
All three plans preserve the Downs Racetrack & Casino under its existing lease, according to the release.
The state’s General Services Department hired the Alberta-based Stantec through a competitive bidding process this summer. The firm is conducting an eight-month, $850,000 study examining options that include keeping the fair in Albuquerque, relocating it within the city or moving it to sites in northern Valencia County, Sandoval County or Albuquerque’s west side.
The New Mexico Fairgrounds District Board was created by statute in early 2025 to oversee redevelopment. The board can issue up to $500 million in bonds backed by gaming taxes from the Downs Casino and other revenue sources.
The site faces additional pressure after the Gathering of Nations Powwow announced it will end in 2026 after 43 years, eliminating an estimated $30 million in annual economic impact, according to previous reporting by City Desk ABQ.
Community members can submit feedback at www.fairgroundsdistrict.nm.gov. A final community meeting is planned for early January, according to the release.
City Desk ABQ reported in September on the debate over the fairgrounds’ future and whether 2025 could mark the end of the State Fair’s nearly nine-decade run in Albuquerque. Read the full report at https://citydesk.org/2025/09/03/the-last-hurrah/
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