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State fair profitable, but collapse will be costly in the end

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This year's Indiana State Fair still turned a profit, though a smaller one than in past years, despite reeling from the impact of a stage collapse that killed seven people and injured dozens more.

Figures released Thursday by the Indiana State Fair Commission show this year's event posted a net profit of $389,000. That's compared with about $820,000 in 2009, the first year for an extended 17-day run, and $1.2 million for 2010, when a KISS concert and other events helped the fair rake in record grandstand revenue.

Officials had budgeted a net profit of $900,000 for this year's event, according to last year's annual fair report.

But this year's fair struggled to recover after the Aug. 13 accident when the stage rigging collapsed just before a performance by country duo Sugarland. The fair closed for one day, and officials hosted a free day at the fair in an effort to boost lagging attendance. The result was a half-million-dollar shortfall in gate receipts, parking, concessions, and canceled grandstand events, fair officials said.

And the costs continue. Fair officials estimate that two outside investigations of the collapse will cost $975,000 by the end of the year.. Engineers hired to investigate the collapse plan to begin dismantling the stage wreckage Monday to move it to a warehouse for further analysis, said Scott Nacheman of Thornton Tomasetti.

Fair officials said more than $275,000 has been distributed from a relief fund set up to help victims of the stage collapse.

Indiana State Fair Foundation Director Justin Armstrong told the commission that $278,000 has been distributed from the fund. The 17 claims processed include six from the estates of those killed.

Families of those killed each received $35,000. The fund has collected nearly $900,000.

Fair Commission Chairman Andre Lacy expressed disappointment that fewer than 20 claims had been received, compared with more than 50 tort claims—the precursor to possible lawsuits—turned in against a separate $5 million state pool. Lacy urged lawyers who represent victims to suggest they also file claims with the relief fund, which relies on private donations.

"This is a gift," Lacy said. "This is the generosity of the good citizens of Indiana saying, 'We care about you.'"

The deadline for submitting claims is Nov. 14.

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  1. these guys only skill was to steal from other's hard earned savings.

  2. I voted for him last time and it WAS the LAST time. He needed to to quit running around the world on useless trips, and giving our $$ away to sports teams. I'll vote for anyone but Ballard next time. BTW...we gave $40M to the Pacers and cannot even watch the games on TV.

  3. For the people concerned about traffic, you should know that mixed-use projects (like the one being proposed), actually allows for and encourages more people to walk and bike, thereby mitigating additional automobile traffic. If we continue to design and build suburban-type projects in the City (i.e. automobile-oriented projects), we are not offering anything different from what the suburbs offer, which means we will continue to lose jobs/people to the suburbs. The reason Broad Ripple is somewhat successful today is that people want to live in a place that offers the convenience of being able to walk/bike to restaurants, retail, nightlife, the Monon, etc. Why would you not want to support a project that is complimentary to what already makes the area desirable? The real argument with this project should be its lack-luster design and layout, not the density.

  4. It is unfortunate that there is a perception that celebrities validate an event. The Indy 500 stands on its own, especially for those coming in from out of town. It was always so disturbing to read the gushing descriptions of Ashley Judd threaded throughout the local coverage. Very happy that era is at an end.

  5. Good ole' Obamacare. Thanks liberals and those who didn't bother to vote.

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