Fair Park Proposal For Master Plan Project

Location:	Wisconsin
Posted:	Feb 12, 2026
Due:	Mar 31, 2026
Agency:	Jefferson County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	C - Architect and Engineering Services - Construction R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, WISCONSIN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Jefferson County Fair Park

Master Plan Project

Issued: 02/13/2026

Responses Due: March 31, 2026

General Information

Jefferson County is requesting statements of qualifications from professional consulting firms with expertise in site plannin

design to provide a comprehensive Master Plan for the Jefferson County Fair Park in Jefferson, Wisconsin.

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Background

Jefferson County owns the subject property known as the “Jefferson County Fair Park”. Though spread across several tax parcels,

the parcels are consolidated into a nearly contiguous block of about 90 acres. The property is generally flat and is street

accessible from all directions. Roughly speaking the property is about one -fourth highly developed with manicured

landscaping, one -half moderately developed and about one -fourth undeveloped with this portion including several parking

areas.

Established in 1852, this recognized and respected facility plays an important role as a year -round tourism generator benefiting

businesses and citizens of Jefferson County. The County benefits from visitors throughout the Midwest from rental fees and

Coun ty sales taxes.

The primary use of the property has been as host to the annual Jefferson County Fair, held each July. The fair takes place o ver

the course of one week and has been the primary occupant of the Fair Park since 1853. The slow, yet continuous development

of the property has been done with fair -related needs in mind in addition to establishing a stronger presence in the county with

the ability to host larger events and animal shows.

Other activities, events, and patrons make use of the Fair Park throughout the year. Most notable among these has been the

semi-annual Car Show events (April and September) and the hosting of the WI Sheep & Wool Festival each September. Upon

development of barns and facilities, smaller events also make use of the equestrian and livestock -oriented facilities . It has been

the intention of County leadership to continue to diversify the uses, allowing for increases in revenue and activity base, and to

contin ue to expand activity to a 52 -week annual calendar, acknowledging the need for consistent staff and care of the property.

This also positions the Fair Park to better serve the Jefferson County community where there is a lack of rentable space for many

types and sizes of functions and events that are performed at Fair Park.

Mission Statement

To provide further guidance, the mission statement is “Jefferson County Fair Park provides a county owned facility for all citizens

where young and old can gather to display their talents, accomplishments and celebrate their cultures; thereby promoting

education, entertainment and economic growth in Jefferso n County.”

The values of the mission statement have been defined as the agricultural community, organizations, and citizens who have

supported the Fair Park for generations. In return this facility will reflect an image to honor their accomplishments and mai ntain

the rural flavor evident throughout Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Fair Park is County -owned and operated with the

resolve to demonstrate pride in our facility by being available for a variety of events.

Scope of Work

• A project kickoff meeting to discuss the scope of work, review associated timeline and next steps

• A project walkthrough to review the existing facilities

• Meet with Fair Park leadership to collect discovery element essential to the core understanding of operations

• Meet with designated County personnel to discuss issues with existing facilities and future needs

• Provide options for the County to choose from on how to utilize the entire Fair Park property and best accommodate

the goals and vision of the Jefferson County

• Refine the conceptual level design based on feedback received

• Provide a broad cost estimate to construct the improvements outlined in the concept and assist with developing a

phasing schedule

• Attend meetings of the Jefferson County Fair Park Committee, and perhaps the County Board, to discuss specifics of the

project, if requested by the County

General Project Guidance

The project is intended to serve as a master plan, guiding the Fair Board, Fair Park Committee, staff, County Board members, and

community stakeholders through a decision -making process to determine the best use of the property in the decades ahead. It

is gen erally understood that a feasibility study may be incorporated into the discovery component allowing the development of

a master plan. The following guide should assist the consultant with working through the project. It is provided here to help the

consu ltant tailor their response to the County’s specific goals and will be refined further once a candidate is selected and is

under contract. This guidance is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of the features Jefferson County would like to have

incorporated into the project.

• The core and primary use of the Fair Park is and has been as host to the annual Jefferson County Fair each summer.

Jefferson County remains committed to this use going forward and the Fair needs to be accommodated through any

new or changed uses of the pro perty.

• There is a wealth of support documentation, metrics, and history that can provide context and data to assist with the

creation of the Master Plan.

• At this time the property’s geographic footprint is defined as described herein and in the accompanying Attachment B,

but there is currently consideration of acquiring one or two adjacent parcels, one of which could significantly impact

site configuration and the Master Plan.

• The county has not decided how it will use Fair Park property in the future, nor how much of the property will be

developed/redeveloped. An essential outcome of this project is the assessment of various practical options that will

assist the County and Fa ir Park leadership in making substantive decisions about the future of Fair Park.

• While this guidance calls for practical options, this should not be a deterrent to thinking big. Fundamental change is an

option for this property.

• Whatever the direction of the property’s use and development, that future must be fiscally sustainable for the County.

The Fair Park does not make a profit now and it doesn’t necessarily have to going forward, but further capital

investments need to be su pported by uses that are compatible with the County’s bottom line. The costs of

maintenance operations, depreciation, and wages will factor in the decision matrix.

• While the primary use of the property has historically been as a fairgrounds, in the future it is fully intended that it may

become a secondary use. Reference to this property as an “event center” is anticipated and as such the consultant

should consider a wide array of reasonable options, including both indoor and outdoor facilities, a wide spectrum of

different kinds of uses on the property or something more consolidated and focused, and both niche markets/interests

versus mass-demand uses.

• Important considerations should include the existing surrounding neighborhood and location within the city of

Jefferson, as well as central to the County. Those considerations may include noise, lighting, accessible utility

infrastructure, ingress/egress, distance from main thoroughfares, other attractions and nearby hospitality support.

• The core and larger buildings of the property are probably not on the table for removal, but lesser buildings and other

features are in play.

• A range of flow and consideration options can be considered, from a full-integrated large campus with easy flow to a

site with more discrete use areas that are more easily cordoned off from each other and operated independently.

Currently, Fair Park often hosts multiple events on a given weekend.

• Aesthetic, thematic, and branding elements should be considered as part of the master planning.

• Big picture consideration of an operating business model is not to be avoided. While the intent is to retain operations

under the County’s structure, a majority of Fair Parks in Wisconsin use a different business model. All can be explored to

find the best possible path toward success (i.e. Ag & Industrial Society, Foundation, Friends of Fair Park, establishing a

501c3).

Communications

All communications and/or questions in regard to this Request for Proposal must be in writing and directed to Becky Roberts at

rroberts@jeffersoncountywi.gov. Any contact with County employees concerning this RF P is prohibited from the date of release

of the RFP until the notice of award is released, except as authorized herein. Contacting anyone other than the designated

contact set forth above may disqualify your response.

Pre-bid Site Visit

If a visit to the Jefferson County Fair Park will best support your response to this RFP, please consider to attend a site vi sit

opportunity on Friday, February 27 at 1 pm. This is not a requirement of the RFP solicitation.

Deliverables

The selected firm shall provide a Strategic Master Development Plan to include:

• Market and economic impact analysis

• Attendance and operational projections

• Concept development

• Proposed facility enhancements

• Proposed enhancements to public pathways, parking and visitor circulation patterns

Upon award of the contract, the County Fair Park leadership will provide information concerning:

• Attendance, traffic and parking data

• Existing building evaluation & utilities summary

• Economic Impact studies previously performed in 2025 & 2026

• Metrics on events, camping and winter storage operations

• Jefferson County Strategic Plan for alignment & context

• Branding Documents

Provide a total not -to-exceed cost that will cover all services necessary for the complete and successful execution of this project.

Submittal

One (1) PDF format file with “RFP – JCFP Master Plan” in the subject line shall be emailed to rroberts@jeffersoncountywi.gov . If

supporting materials are required, please mail those to the Fair Park directly at JCFP – Mast Plan Attn: Becky 503 N. Jackson

Avenue Jefferson, WI 53549 .

All proposals will be received no later than 3:30 pm CST on March 31, 2026. Proposals received after that time and date will not

be considered.

Due to issues inherent to emailing attachments and firewall safeguards, it is highly recommended that you request a message

delivery receipt for your submittal and/or contact Becky Roberts at the Fair Park at 920 -674-7159 to confirm receipt of your

proposal. The County will not be responsible for submittals that are not received due to email transmittal or firewall chall enges.

Submitted bids may be modified in writing prior to the date and time set for bid closing. Any such modification must be signed

by a duly authorized representative, and state the new document supersedes or modifies the prior bid. The modification must

be clearly marked “Bid Modification” with the RF B project title. Bids may not be modified after bid closing time and date.

Inquiries & Revisions

All questions and inquiries shall be in wiring and sent to Becky Roberts, Jefferson County Fair Park Director, via email at

rroberts@jeffersoncountywi.gov . A FAQ document will be posted on the County’s website to ensure that all proposers have

access to the same information at the same time.

The County reserves the right to modify and/or cancel this request in whole or part before a contract is executed. If it bec omes

necessary to revise any part of the RFP, it shall be the responsibility of the interested firms to obtain a copy of any issue d

addendum. Addendums, revisions, updates, or FAQs will be posted on the County’s web page.

Anticipated Schedule

The following schedule has been established to submit and evaluate the RFP and selection of consultant(s). Except for the RF P

due date, the remaining dates are tentative only, and the County reserves the right to adjust these dates at its sole discret ion.

• Deadline for the RFP response

March 31, 2026

• Evaluation period begins

April 1, 2026

• Announcement of final selection

April 10, 2026

• County Board Resolution to accept bid and execute contract April 14, 2026

• Project kick -off meeting

May 2026

RFP Evaluation

Jefferson County reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive any technicality or informality. Award

will be made to the lowest responsible, responsive proposal conforming to the specifications, terms and conditions set forth

herein. Jefferson County shall be the sole judge as to compliance with the submittal instructions.

In determining the responsiveness and responsibility of submittal , the following shall be considered when applicable: the ability,

capacity, and skill of the vendor to perform as required; whether they can perform promptly, or within the time specified without

delay or interference; the character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency of the submitter; the quality of

past performanc e by the submitter ; the previous and existing compliance with related laws and regulations; the sufficiency of

resources to perform the work involved.

Evaluation Criteria & Selection

The following criteria, subject to revision and amendment, is anticipated to be used in the evaluation of the proposals:

• Approach to Scope of Services

25 points

To include, but not limited to:

Understanding the scope of services as demonstrated by the thoroughness of the proposal, introduction of

value-added strategies or innovations, and an overall approach most likely to result in the desired outcome

for the County

• Staff Qualifications & Experienc e 20 points

To include, but not limited to:

Relevance of experience of the firm

Relevance of experience and strength of qualifications of the Project Manager

Relevance of referenced projects and client review of performance during those projects

• Proposal Schedule

15 points

To include, but not limited to:

Ability to complete the work in the shortest schedule possible (excluding time for review and community

meetings)

• Proposed Pricing

30 points

• Organization & Staffing

10 points

To include, but not limited to:

Availability of key staff to perform the services throughout the duration of the project

Assignment of appropriate staff to perform the Scope of Services

Appropriate communication and reporting relationships to meet the County’s needs.

Each firm’s response to the RFP will be evaluated on the above criteria. The materials submitted in response to the RFP will be

scored in the six (6) categories. The evaluation team will consist of at least six (6) County employees and/or representativ es of

the Fair Park committee (a committee of the County Board of Supervisors) who have direct knowledge of the work to be

performed under the agreement. Team member scores will be used to determine the most qualified and desired firm.

A face-to-face interview with the top candidates may be conducted to determine the most qualified firm. In such an event, the

selected firms should be prepared to discuss the information submitted in the proposal and present any relevant information

they believe will help the County determine them to be the most qualified. Attendees should be limited to firm exe4cutives,

marketing personnel and the project manager.

Standard Terms & Conditions

All contracts shall be subject to Jefferson County’s Standard Terms and Conditions (Exhibit A). The bidder shall not submit i ts

own Contract document as a substitute for the County’s Standard Terms & Conditions. Bidders shall accept all terms and

condition s or submit point -by-point exceptions along with proposed alternative language for each point. The County reserves

the right to negotiate the contractual terms and conditions or reject the bidder’s response and proceed to the next qualified

bidder.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Fair Park Proposal For Master Plan Project

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See also