Plans for relocating the flea market at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds raises the ire of vendors

A plan to relocate the flea market at Expo Square at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds has vendors fearing for their future. <br><br>More than 100 merchants turned out for a meeting Tuesday night to view the

Wednesday, April 14th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A plan to relocate the flea market at Expo Square at the Tulsa County Fairgrounds has vendors fearing for their future.

More than 100 merchants turned out for a meeting Tuesday night to view the proposed plans and voice their concerns. The News on 6's Heather Lewin was there.

She says the flea market has been in the same spot for three decades, but the master plan to improve the fairgrounds calls for demolition of that building. Expo Square officials are proposing a new, improved facility under the racetrack grandstands about 300 yards east of the current location.

What planners consider a minor move is drawing some major opposition. It's a Saturday morning tradition in Tulsa, but it's housed in a building Expo Square officials say is run down and obsolete. They want to build a new exhibit hall in its place. Fairgrounds director Denny Tuttle: "The exhibit hall is designed to attract events that are not quite large enough to go into the expo building and it'll create a brand new source of revenue and new events for Expo Square." But the people at Tuesdayâ€™s meeting fear that plan will push them out of business.

Developers say the flea market's new $4-million home under the grandstands will offer about the same number of booths along with improved heat and air conditioning. Debate grew heated when officials suggested the market would be just as successful in the new location. Vendor Marvin Vaughn: "If it's here, if it's here, --no sir no-- I don't think the success of the flea market is this old building."

Expo Square officials say the new home for the flea market will be a big improvement with better access, but after 30 years in this building, many vendors fear the change will hurt business. Vendor Sandra Penner: "I think everybody's concerned about the permanency of it, if we can keep it more like a flea market than just a spot where people go buy things."

Officials say they believe the market will continue to thrive, while the fairgrounds brings in new business. Tuttle says one of the biggest complaints about the current location is lack of parking.

The new spot, which will take about a year to build, will offer a larger parking area in the center of the racetrack. But for the six weeks of horse racing each year, the market will have to move, which is another issue not sitting well with the vendors.