Indiana State Fair Secures Funding To Replace Swine Barn

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The century-old Swine Barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds will be replaced with a new multi-use facility after state officials released money for the project last month.

The new $50 million facility, renamed Fall Creek Pavilion, will include a restoration of the front façade of the original swine barn but total reconstruction of the rest of the structure, the Indiana Business Journal reported.

That includes an addition of 50,000 square feet (1.15 acres) to the space, bringing its total size to 197,000 square feet (2.23 acres), which will allow the facility to host large sporting events.

Construction will start this fall after this year’s state fair and finish before the start of the the 2023 fair. The storm water system under the building is slated to be rerouted before most of the historical structure is torn down by the end of 2021.

Once completed, the pavilion will serve as a swine barn during the state fair and as a venue for other events during the rest of the year.

The state fair commission's plans for the overhaul of the aging building were announced in 2019, but project plans were put on hold after the coronavirus pandemic delayed state funding, Ray Allison, the fair’s vice president of development, told IBJ.