Final plans for Fredericton's Exhibition Grounds up to new committee

A committee has been formed to finalize plans for how a 31-acre plot of prime real estate in downtown Fredericton is redeveloped to offer more housing.

But no deadline has been set for the work by the committee, which is to rely on consensus among members over how to redevelop the New Brunswick Exhibition Grounds.

Fredericton council agreed Monday night to appoint five representatives to sit on what's being called the "joint decision-making authority" for the Exhibition Grounds.

Those representatives are Mayor Kate Rogers, Coun. Ruth Breen, Steve Hart, the city's chief administrative officer, Ken Forrest, director of planning and development, and Ryan Seymour, manager of real estate.

Another five members of the committee will come from the New Brunswick Exhibition, including executive director Jeff McCarthy, board president Rob Kitchen, and board members Kevin Price, Duncan Gallant and Crystal Kreton.

The committee's formation is the latest step forward in a years-long effort between the city and the New Brunswick Exhibition to redevelop the land for new uses, including housing, a new school, community facilities and park space.

"I think it just shows a real coming together to optimize that property," Rogers said.

"It's a fabulous piece of property right in the heart of our city, and there's so many opportunities and having this committee coming together provides the opportunity for us to realize some of those opportunities."

While the city owns the property, the exhibition holds a perpetual lease on it and oversees operations at the site. It has an indoor exhibit centre and coliseum, horse stables, a horse track and a parking lot with space for 1,000 vehicles.

The city has for years wanted to see new uses for the grounds, and in spring 2019, it came to an agreement with the New Brunswick Exhibition, under former executive director Mike Vokey, to redevelop the property.

Three design options were put forward in 2021 for how to keep the exhibition centre, while getting rid of the racetrack to make room for residential buildings, mixed commercial-residential buildings, a park and potentially a new school.

But rumblings emerged late last spring among Horse Racing New Brunswick members over its hopes to "seize control" of the track, which had a long, storied history of harness racing until the organization that ran it shut down in 2016.

In the spring of this year, Vokey revealed he'd been fired as executive director in March after being told the board wanted to take the organization in "a different direction."

Board president ready to collaborate

In June, the exhibition board president, Rob Kitchen, allayed fears the organization was trying to pivot away from the plan to redevelop the track.

On Monday evening, Kitchen confirmed his board's commitment to work collaboratively with the city on choosing a final design plan that would do away with it.

"What the the committee comes up with … is how we'll move forward," Kitchen said. "What the exact plan will look like, no one, no one knows yet."

City planning director Ken Forrest said the committee will have two co-chairs, and any decisions made will settled by consensus among members.

"There's two equal partners, and so the idea is that you know, as we move forward, we're agreeing in tandem to things as we implement," Forrest said.

Rogers said there's no timeline for deciding on a final plan but added she's eager to work with the other committee members.

"I'm hopeful that we're going to have a sort of a coming together of minds," she said.

"Of course, as in any committee environment, we'll all have differing opinions, but I know that we'll do what is best for the city and for that space and for our organizations."