Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, one of the community colleges in the district, has worked with the fairgrounds for years. The college holds its graduation ceremonies at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, also called the fairgrounds. The college and the center also have an agreement that allows students to use the fairgrounds’ parking lot.
It’s not clear how much it would cost the college district to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the city and county to purchase the fairgrounds, Patterson said, because the district has only just begun exploring the idea.
“If the price is right and there’s a three-way split of some sort, it could be doable,” Patterson said.
When questioned about prospects for a deal among the county, city and college, County Supervisor John Moorlach would not confirm that such talks were underway, but that the county and the city are considering a joint purchase.
“We’re a community concerned about the fair and everyone is extending a hand,” Moorlach said.
Meanwhile, Kristina Dodge, who chairs both the Fair & Event Center’s Board of Directors and the board of a foundation — which was recently formed by Dodge and five of the center’s other directors to buy the fairgrounds and preserve it as a fair — announced Thursday that the foundation is ready to place a bid on the property.
This comes, however, as the foundation appears to be teetering after four of its six founding board members resigned in recent weeks.
“As foundation members, Mary Young and I will stay very connected to sale process and be ready to take any action necessary to keep the foundation’s pledge of preserving the fair,” Dodge said in an e-mail. Dodge did not return calls seeking answers to more questions.
