On Saturday Governor Andrew Cuomo accompanied by other state and Syracuse officials gathered at the New York State Fairgrounds to mark the beginning of site renovations.
The 43-year-old Grandstand which held major music acts was demolished around 1:30 Saturday afternoon. Last September Cuomo revealed a redesign of the State Fairgrounds complex that would transform the site into a premiere, year-around, multi-use facility attracting larger concerts and more visitors.
Renovations include a new multi-purpose exposition center with 110,000 square feet of flexible space, an expanded festival stage, a larger Midway and a 400-site RV Park, as well as various parking and safety improvements.
The project will receive $50 million as part of the 2015-2016 budget plan and is expected to be complete by August 2018.