Ground is breaking on about $1 million in improvements at Fuji Park, which Carson City officials have envisioned since 1996.
"This has been a long time in coming as far as getting improvements out there," said Carson City Park Planner Vern Krahn.
"Because of the different winds of change that have circumvented this project, we have started and stopped, started and stopped. The fun part is building things."
Phase 1 of Fuji Park improvements includes pavement of a parking lot around the exhibit hall, a playground, construction of new restrooms, addition of electrical outlets in the ground, renovation of the picnic shelter, some grading work to prepare for future turf and parking, overseeding of the lawn area and an irrigation system.
Construction crews from Interstate Utility Contractors are working to prepare a site for a new, manufactured restroom.
Krahn said the improvements in this phase of construction should be completed in January, weather permitting.
The second phase awaits the Nov. 5 vote on Carson City Question 1, which asks if the fairgrounds should be developed for commercial use.
Krahn said the second phase will include improvements to the fairgrounds if the majority of voters vote no on Question 1. However, if most vote yes, the parks department likely will begin preliminary work on the Flint Drive site selected as the relocation site of the fairgrounds.
"We're trying to prepare for the event of either outcome," Krahn said.
Carson supervisors in August 2001 decided to improve Fuji Park while splitting from it from the city's fairgrounds for potential commercial development.