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http://dirtracingreport.com/

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According to Raceway General Manager Stickel, the expansion plans being considered are for a four-story building to be located on the southeast corner of the track where the Skate Pit is currently located. An entry plaza and skywalk to the existing stands, additional skyboxes, a rooftop terrace, raceway offices, and retail space are all options being considered as portions of the new structure. 

Although I usually believe that investing in infrastructure is a very good thing....and has greatly benefitted the Marion County Fairgrounds in the past....I am not 100% sure this is a good thing.      I guess that I am wary of all the strings that come with accepting state money and "overbuilding" like the track in Newton did. 

From the "long-term" plans I have been told by a few Fairboard members, this is a good first step (without it, the next steps are nearly impossible IMO).

I like that the ticket office will essentially be "moved" to turn #1 right by the highway (a majority of the fans park outside of the track grounds and any "newbies" never know where the current ticket office is located at, especially when there are new events formed (MonsterJam for example) and 99% of those fans have never stepped foot on the Knoxville Raceway (and a majority of those never even in Marion County).

I'm not sold on a "rooftop terrace" just due to the danger of turn #1.

I like the idea of retail type shops as T-shirt vendors could all be located in this location and be open "year round" as opposed to only on racenights.  Good Revenue generating option.

The large "suite" is a good idea from a marketing standpoint (how do you get more large companies in central iowa involved if there is no place on-site for you to wine and dine them?) to entice more sponsors to teh raceway (or for the teams to use to wine and dine potential sponsors too).

Multi-purpose.  If the 2nd floor is offices and the 3rd and 4th floor are open floorplans, this means you can rent it out for parties, receptions, graduations, etc. on off race-nights and generate revenue which is a good thing IMO.

If the ticket office is moved, that means the existing ticket office can be demolished or used for another purpose (I'd say the smart move would be to remove it which opens up square footage for more parking, vendors, restrooms, etc.

Until the state approves the sales tax rebate though, it's all conjecture.  Having said that, if they don't approve it for Knoxville and re-approve another one for Newton, there is something wrong in the statehouse.  They shouldn't choose winners and losers.  It's either good for all or no one gets anything.  My guess is that the #'s that Knoxville pulls in from a fan standpoint (more than IA Speedway) and tourism $$  generation on a yearly basis, that it will pass and construction will begin at the conclusion of 2014 racing season.

I just hope whoever sits in those suites in mid summer brings their sunglasses because all they are going to be staring at is the sun...ya the location is great for selling tickets and merch but as far as viewing the races the fans that sit there and try to watch are in for a real treat with the sun...and yes it is in a very dangerous spot...that and turn 3 and are where they are really where they hauling the mail and if a wreck happens at the right spot its almost inevitable that some part will go flying towards the building...i like to see them expand at get better as that is what i call home in the summer even though i live 4 and half hours away...but...i like the hall of fames idea better where they take that and expand it towards the backstretch stands...it would put alot less people at risk and as far as i am concerned, safety is number one thing to be looked at...

I know it doesn't bring in revenue really like this new building will but as far as improvements, I'd love to see an up to date video screen. The one they have now is out of date, small, and virtually worthless as far as replays go you can see it decently well for line ups atleast. As far as the new building goes I'm excited for it.

wow, everyone complains about the video board a lot.  I've never had an issue seeing it clearly (I sit in Section H), but technology moves so fast these days that even if they put up a new one, it will be out of date the minute it's installed, and let's face it, $100,000 + for a video board that gets used a GRAND TOTAL of 36 days a year (that includes practice night, the enduro, Late Models, AMA Motorcycles and MonsterJam too).

From a business standpoint, it makes no sense for them to spend the $$ on it currently (unless someone is upgrading one at a stadium and they can get it used -- which is how Eldora got theirs BTW).

I agree 100%.  It is basically worthless (very hard to see anything).  They should take a look at the one at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. 

Your right, they shouldn't put it there because if you don't have sunglasses and sit up there, if might be a little difficult to see hot laps and a little but of time trials, cancel the whole project

Maybe its an ingenious plan to sell $18 Knoxville raceway sunglasses thus becoming a major revenue generator!  GENIUS! !!!

Best thing they could do is build parking and charge. Parking is a pain during the nationals as usual the fair board has their head in the wrong place this is Knoxville Iowa not some large metropolitan that needs sky boxes

How do you build parking? Knoxville doesn't have the luxury of say a track like Eldora with vast amounts of open space. If you say a parking ramp...see how many people pay to park when you can walk two blocks and park for free. 

"This is Knoxville where we don't need aluminum bleachers with backs, a hall of fame, concrete to walk on.." 

We should probably just move the track to a corn field where there is plenty of parking, all park our trucks and cars around the edge so there is light and sit in our own 4 wheeled sky boxes. 

If you think the skyboxes and suites are a joke then why are there people and businesses paying to be in them? 

Keep It Real

Off Site Parking and a High Speed Mono Rail!!

good idea move it to a cornfield Knoxville's best days are in the past

I am all for making things better, but, I don't think this is the best location or plan, IMO. Sun, debris and the only time all the suites are full is during the Nationals. They already have Hudson Hall that they rent out for dances and weddings. The HoF rents out the second floor of their building also.

I also would like to see a different score/video screen that works every week. Larger would be nice,,but working all the time would be nice.

Dyer Hudson hall needs replaced (termites) and is a TERRIBLE venue for weddings, dances, etc.  Plus, currently there is nothing large enough in MARION COUNTY to hold the Raceway Banquet (so they spend a ton of $$$ to rent somewhere in DesMoines to hold it every year).

I agree, that it would be "nice" to have a larger video screen, but as I stated in my previous post, it;s used a GRAND TOTAL of 36 days a year.  It's STUPID to spend $$$ on the video board unless it "must" be replaced.

as far as location goes, it's not much different than the Hall of Fame (early summer the HoF looks directly into the sun, late summer, this building will.  doesn't seem to bother the people that sit over at the Hall of Fame.  Doubt there will be any outdoor seating on the racetrack side of this buiding either.

As a fan that sits in the stands, the building will make no difference for me personally.  However, I try to think from the raceway's point of view too.  How do you wine and dine sponsors in the current suites?  You can't as they only hold 8-16 people, how can you bring a group of 50-100 from a large corporation you are trying to entice to sponsor the raceway if you don't have anywhere to put them??

Another thing to think about is "year-round" revenue.  A new video board is an expense and will not increase revenue on a yearly basis.  A new building can increase revenue on a yearly basis (1) more suites to sell and from what I am hearing, the Hall of Fame and the Raceway have more interest in suites this year than they've had for the last 10 years, (2) a place to rent out "year round" for banquets, and such, and (3) retail space that you can collect monthly rent on.

From a BUSINESS Standpoint, the raceway has no choice but to either add amenities (this building, better wi-fi, upgraded restrooms, etc., etc.) or stop being a viable venue (their competition for reveue $$'s is Wells Fargo Arena (Barnstormers, concerts, Iowa Energy, etc., etc.), the Iowa Speedway (currently has better amenities and the state falls over themselves giving them tax rebates even though they are owned by a corporation that makes 10's of millions of $$$'s in profit every year), and the local colleges, universities sporting events (ISU, Iowa, UNI, Drake, etc., etc.).

Keeping with the "status quo" will result in LESS fans attending every week as opposed to continual upgrading which may entice those "fringe" or "fair-weather" or "casual" fans to attend events there more often.  Hate to break this to everyone, but the Marion County Fairgrounds and Knoxville Raceway are an ENTERTAINMENT VENUE, not a Racetrack.

You make entirely too much sense.  I think I'd like to meet/sit with you some evening at the races.

From my understanding a parking garage costs around $20,000 per parking (above ground) per stall to build (per a meeting at my workplace 10+ years ago now).  They told us they'd either "narrow" parking spots by 6" each to add parking or buy land as it became available (they did both).

It would take FOREVER to recoup costs for parking and there are a total of ~54 days of activity on the fairgrounds currently (races, MonsterJam, Marion County Fair, concerts, etc.).

Let's say you charge $10 per car to park and you fill EVERY SPOT for all of those 54 days, it will take 37 YEARS to get your $$$ back for the cost to construct it.  That seems like a good investment to me....Not.

Could the Fairboard purchase land?  maybe, but what land adjacent to the track is going to be available?  The VA (nope, the government won't give up the land), the housing to the west/north (doesn't make financial sense), the Pizza Hut, Pella Regional Clinic (doubt the Clinic would be interested as they've invested $1,000,000 or more into their property and it's enough to park maybe 70 cars), HyVee (yeah, they'd be interested in moving to the complete other end of town and away from the population that purchases goods and services there (not to mention they have a primo location during race season).

If they could purchase any of these, what do they do with it the other 311 days a year??  Pay someone to keep it mowed (Grass) or plowed (pavement or rock) and have the liability if some idiots get hurt on their property.  again, doesn't seem like it makes financial sense to me.

We're not a large metropolitain area and don't need a parking garage that is used 4 days a year.  This proposal is used 365 days a year.  Seems to make more sense than a parking garage.

On the topic of parking, I noticed that Musco lights have been installed in the current parking lots over the winter....

I don't ever remember the sun in my eyes sitting in the HoF until I looked into turn 3

Depends on where you sit in the HoF.  And, if you use the correct type of glass, you won't have glare for the racers and you can significantly diminish the power of the sun for those behind the glass.