State Fair Kicks Off Construction and Unveils Name for New Complex

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Event Kicks Off to Construction on West End Market the Morning of Oct. 30

ST. PAUL, MINN. (10/30/2013)(readMedia)-- At a special event held this morning, the Minnesota State Fair announced the name and kicked off construction for a new one-of-a-kind destination on the west end of the State Fairgrounds (formerly the Heritage Square area). The $15 million project is being led by Cuningham Group Architecture and McGough Construction.

At the start of this morning's event, State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer announced the area's name will be "West End Market," a selection chosen from nearly 1,300 ideas submitted through Facebook and email in early October.

Architectural renderings unveiled at the event showed plans for West End Market include:

  • an updated State Fair History & Heritage Center to showcase treasured fair artifacts
  • an expanded free entertainment stage and seating area
  • dozens of artisans and specialty merchant locations, some featuring live demonstrations
  • several new food and beverage establishments
  • new men's, women's and family restrooms

Additionally, construction plans include a new adjacent entrance gate and transit hub for busses. The new complex will open for the 2014 Minnesota State Fair.

"West End Market will be a brand-new State Fair neighborhood that everyone will really enjoy," Hammer said. "You'll find lots of your old favorites from Heritage Square along with new food, new exhibits, a new history center and a great new entertainment facility."

"Our plans for West End Market are very similar to what we did with the new and improved International Bazaar constructed in 2008," Hammer said. "Like the original Bazaar, Heritage Square was built many years ago as a temporary facility that continued to be used for many years past its intended life. West End Market will be built to last, and has a flexible design that will allow us to better present a variety of exhibits and displays well into the future."

The previous Heritage Square exhibit area was originally built in 1964 as the Young America Center for teens. Created as a temporary structure, it was intended to last no more than five or 10 years. The Young America Center became Heritage Square in 1975 as part of a program to commemorate the United States Bicentennial in 1976. It remained Heritage Square until 2013.

The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is leading a campaign to help build the new History & Heritage Center at West End Market. The Foundation's History and Heritage Campaign works to preserve historical State Fair elements, and fund programs and exhibits. "Through this project and the Foundation's nonprofit mission, we are excited to celebrate 150-years of State Fair history and stories that connect generations of Minnesota families. While Foundation donors support many areas of the State Fair from agriculture to environment, the fair's history and heritage unites us all," said Pat Bailey, chair of the Minnesota State Fair Foundation Board of Directors.

The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest and best-attended expositions in the world, attracting nearly 1.8 million visitors annually. Showcasing Minnesota's finest agriculture, art and industry, the Great Minnesota Get-Together is always 12 Days of Fun Ending Labor Day. Visit mnstatefair.org for more information.

The 2014 Minnesota State Fair runs Aug. 21 - Labor Day, Sept. 1.

-MSF-