Fair Board Feeling Time Crunch On Upgrades

There's worry all of the renovations at the Tulsa Fairgrounds won't be ready in time for the Tulsa State Fair.  News On 6 anchor Scott Thompson reports county officials got an update on Tuesday with one board member wondering when "it's time to throw in the towel."

It's 100 days until the Tulsa State Fair and the $100 million renovation is still underway.  The bad weather has workers changing around schedules and at least one Fair Board member concerned it won't all get finished.

SkyNews 6 got a look at the massive amount of renovations taking place at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. With the Tulsa State Fair and the Arabian Horse National Championship three months away construction crews have been battling Mother Nature.

"We are making arrangements day to day and even hour by hour as far as trying to shuffle our work crews to areas where, even if it rains, they can be on the job site working to make sure we make our deadline for the Tulsa State Fair," said Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo.

The plan calls for a new Exchange Center, a multi-million dollar storage building behind the Pavilion, and renovation of the Midway, which means flattening out the immense parking lot. But one project may be put on hold, the renovation of the Armory. Fair Board member Jim Orbison asked the construction foreman when "it would be time to throw in the towel?" The News On 6 was not able to get in touch with Orbison for comment, but Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo says he was specifically asking about the Armory and not the other renovations.

"All of our efforts are going to those projects that are critical specifically for the operation for the Tulsa State Fair and the Arabian Show," said Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo.

Smaligo says only the in-house catering service would need the Armory and they've made arrangements to have it up and running regardless of its location. Still, he says, the rain better stop to get everything back on schedule.

"That's been one of the big hopes of everyone associated with Expo Square is that we get dry weather, absolutely," said Tulsa County Commissioner John Smaligo.

While the Tulsa State Fair begins September 25th, the deadline to have everything finished is actually a few weeks before because it takes quite a bit of time to set everything up.