After 170 years of giving Orange County residents a place to go for entertainment, its famous fairgrounds in Middletown is for sale. But there”™s an asterisk on the for sale sign: the historic racetrack must remain intact.
The fairgrounds have been operating since 1857, when locals established the Orange County Agricultural Society and built a horse-racing track. By 1919, the horseless buggy was in full vigor and car races replaced horse races.
“At the first event the society held, it had more than 5,000 people show up for it,” said R.J. Smith of R.J. Smith Real Estate Solutions in Goshen and Pine Bush, the exclusive agent for the 100-acre property. “It began a life-long love for me of stock-car racing and motor racing in general.”
The Orange County Fair has been a mainstay of the community for the past century, but attendance has been dwindling steadily, despite general manager Michael Gurda”™s best efforts to attract more visitors and keep the show going on.
Neither Gurda nor Smith would disclose an asking price for the property.
“My family has been involved for three generations,” Gurda said. “Ideally, we are looking for a buyer who would keep the history of the fairground intact and continue the motor car racing, but would be willing to invest in upgrading it to attract a broader audience. It”™s the oldest continuously run dirt track in the country.”
With 26 million people within a 100-mile radius, Smith feels the property and its potential will be more than a good return on investment for the right buyer. “It”™s well situated for mixed-use development with two interstates within a stone”™s throw,” Smith said.
The agricultural society is willing to sell it but with the proviso that the track remain, Gurda said.
“Someone with a vision can really make this place a spectacular entertainment venue that would draw visitors from all directions.”
