The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire will be moving, but not for a few years.
The Alachua County Fairgrounds will be relocated two miles north of the Gainesville Regional Airport between North 63rd Avenue and North 69th Avenue. The current site will be replaced with a retail shopping area.
The move will affect the logistics of the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in the future. However, a previous pitch to move the fairgrounds to Newberry could have jeopardized the future of the fair, which is attended by thousands of people each year.
The city of Newberry put in a fall proposal to relocate the county fairgrounds to a complex in its city instead of the Gainesville location on Waldo Road.
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe said in an interview in the fall that he would not allow a city-funded fair to take place in Newberry. Lowe's main argument was that it would give the perception Gainesville isn't interested in developing the east side of town.
Plan East Gainesville is a project to bring jobs and economic growth potential into East Gainesville.
Rick Drummond, interim county manager, said moving the fairgrounds is an integral part of Plan East Gainesville.
Newberry's pitch has since been dropped, he said.
The Waldo Road land was purchased by Alachua County for $2 million in 2006. It will take about $22 million to get the location prepped to be a fully working fairground.
One of the reasons that the move is taking so long is the budget for the fairground project was cut.
The budget, which was originally $21 million to $28 million, has been decreased to between $12 million and $14 million, Drummond said.
"The economic realities have changed since we first wanted to pull the trigger on this project," Drummond said.
Linda Piper, events coordinator with the City of Gainesville Division of Cultural Affairs, said one of the main advantages of the move is an increase in parking.
The current fairgrounds can hold 1,000 cars, and the new fairgrounds will be able to park 5,000 cars, she said.
She said the move will be beneficial to eastern Gainesville.
"I am glad it will impact the east side of Gainesville economically," Piper said. "And it will bring jobs."
Gypsies dance at the Hoggetowne Medieval Fair on Saturday. The Alachua County Fairgrounds will be moving to a site two miles north of the Gainesville Regional Airport in a few years for a total cost of $24 million.
