Cuomo plans to make the New York State Fairgrounds a year-round location

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to make the New York State Fairgrounds one of the most premiere locations in the United States.

Cuomo spoke to local officials and members of the public Tuesday at the fairground’s Empire Room about progress that’s been made over the past year. Cuomo was introduced by Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball.

Mahoney began the meeting by welcoming members of New York State Assembly as well as other notable committee members. When speaking about the governor, Mahoney said it was “an honor and privilege for working with him in the state.”

Ball started by saying the state fair is the oldest state fair in the United States, having 175 years of history. Cuomo has “made upstate New York a priority” since taking office in 2011, Ball said.

“We have a good story to tell in New York,” Ball said.

Cuomo announced the money put into the state fair in the past year, $50 million, brought a record number of people to the state fair from all over the country.

There were 1,117,630 visitors to the New York State Fair this past year, which is a 23 percent increase from 2015, Cuomo said. A survey conducted showed that 97 percent of people had a positive experience at the midway, and 87 percent found that the new features invested were positive changes.

“We took an asset that was underused and underdeveloped for many, many years, which you could just get a sense of by just walking through the fair,” Cuomo said.

But Cuomo said he is not going to stop here with investment into upstate New York, which was greeted by a round of applause. He has appointed a task force that will work to create a new plan in making the New York State Fairgrounds a place for people to go 365 days a year.

The optimum goal is to use new projects like the amphitheater and making it available all year round, and adding in a “premier convention exhibition site,” Cuomo said.

The task force will present the plan to Cuomo as he intends to include it in the State of the State address in January, and will make it a mission to provide an additional $50 million over an area overlooked for many years, Cuomo said.

“Now, we have to do even better next year,” Cuomo said. “That’s the New York way.”