The board that oversees the Solano County Fairgrounds removed an agenda item from its meeting Wednesday discussing a contract to build an “AI-powered emergency shelter” with a helipad on the fairgrounds property in Vallejo after backlash from residents.
Solano County Fair Association CEO Thomas Keaney wrote in a statement that the item “will not be re-calendared,” and that “there is no pending development proposal.”
Wednesday’s meeting agenda was originally scheduled to include a closed session negotiation between Global Stack LLC, Keaney and the fairgrounds’ lawyers.
Global Stack was founded in March with a mission to revitalize 70-plus fairgrounds all over the state. Their Solano County Fairgrounds proposal included an aircraft landing site, a 10-megawatt power source and “emergency resilience systems,” Global Stack CEO Daniel Kang said in an email. The company started talks with Solano County Fair officials in April.
“California’s fairgrounds are treasured public assets, but they are chronically underfunded,” Kang said.
Following backlash to similar proposals in Calistoga and San Francisco, numerous Solano County residents spoke out on social media in the days leading up to the meeting, calling for people to pack Wednesday’s meeting to denounce the project in public comment.
“We share many of the concerns raised by the community,” said Vallejo Mayor Andrea Sorce, whose office sent an inquiry to fairgrounds officials following an outpouring of criticism over the proposal from residents.
The fairgrounds are situated in Vallejo between the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park and the city’s Country Club Crest neighborhood.
In a phone call, Keaney said that the outcry contributed to the decision to pull the item, but added that people were not given accurate information about the emergency shelter. Keaney said the proposal was “a wonderful thing,” but there weren’t enough “hours in the day” to handle the response.
Statewide fairgrounds strategy
The 153-acre fairgrounds, owned by Solano County, have been the site of the annual Solano County Fair since its founding in 1946. Today, the site hosts circuses, roller derbies, bird expos, cannabis fairs and gun shows.
Despite the setback in Solano County, Kang remains optimistic. Without specifying which fairgrounds are moving forward with conversations, Kang said that he is “excited to work with the fairgrounds that have opted in so far.”
“The model is a true public-private partnership: it keeps the profit and the jobs in California, it backs up public safety, and it barely touches the land it sits on,” said Kang.
Fairgrounds around the state make most of their income from event rentals, but their governing bodies are looking to pivot since interest in county fairs has tapered off in recent years. Global Stack LLC is looking to intervene in that trend and help fairgrounds find a better financial model.
In June, Global Stack presented its vision to Calistoga’s Fairgrounds Advisory Committee, which detailed a data center and a multi-story parking garage with a vertiport for helicopters for the space, where infrastructure has been neglected and much of the park is closed to the public.
Residents showed up to the meeting in droves to criticize the proposal. According to Calistoga fairgrounds officials, the board has no plans to pursue Global Stack’s plan.
A similar agenda item is listed for a meeting next Tuesday of San Francisco’s Cow Palace board of directors, including the approval of a memorandum of understanding with Global Stack and “additional exploration” of a short-term lease with the same company.