Calistoga won't pursue data center idea for fairgrounds, but revitalization efforts continue
A proposal to bring a data center, parking garage and helipad to the Calistoga Fairgrounds doesn't have the support needed to move forward, city officials confirmed this week, but efforts to revitalize the 70.6-acre property are ongoing.
The city is in the midst of crafting a long-term vision for the fairgrounds acquired from Napa County almost two years ago.
But a pitch by Global Stack LLC recently presented to the Calistoga Fairgrounds Advisory Committee is apparently not what city leaders - or the community - have in mind for the site.
"At this time, there is no data center project moving forward in Calistoga," Deputy City Manager Rachel Stepp said in a statement Thursday, July 9.
Under Global Stack's proposal, the Calistoga site would join a network of fairgrounds across California that would be redeveloped with 10-megawatt data centers, smaller than the typical data centers companies are seeking to build across the country, along with multi-level parking garages topped with helicopter landing pads to boost emergency response.
In her statement Thursday, Stepp said the concept was presented to the fairgrounds committee at its June 25 meeting "as an informational presentation only."
"No action was requested, no recommendation was made, and no project was approved," Stepp wrote. "The purpose was simply to allow the committee and the public to hear the concept, ask questions and better understand what was being presented."
Dozens of community members turned out for the meeting, most in opposition to the proposal.
Should any future project including city property be pursued, Stepp said, it would run through the city's standard public review process, "including public meetings and City Council consideration."
Global Stack has discussed the proposal with at least eight of California's 80 fairgrounds and expositions so far, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, including the Solano County Fairgrounds & Event Center, the Kings County Fairgrounds and the Tulare County Fairgrounds.
Some - such as the Cow Palace and the San Mateo Event Center - are considering the idea because it could provide a source of stable income and add much-needed parking, the Chronicle reported.
The full developments, which would be privately funded, would take up about 5 acres at each of the fairgrounds. Some revenue, from parking fees and the data center leases, would then go back into the fairgrounds - many of which are strapped for cash and have fallen into disrepair.
Even as the pitch in Calistoga received intense backlash from residents - who cited concerns about a data center draining resources from the region - committee members defended the choice to hear the presentation, saying the response to the presentation would shape how the city proceeds with fairgrounds planning.
Indeed, Calistoga's efforts to bring the fairgrounds back to its glory days - after purchasing the site from Napa County for $2 million in 2024 - are still proceeding.
While the fairgrounds committee works out a comprehensive plan for the site, the property has already come back alive within the past two years, with sprint car races, music and rodeo events, agricultural fairs, races and various other events taking place there.
Calistoga is now moving to revive the golf course on the property, following approval from the City Council on June 23 to start up a request-for-proposals process to find qualified operators or developers for the course. The city will later evaluate the ideas that come out of that process.
Councilmember Kevin Eisenberg said at the June 23 meeting the outpouring of community support for the golf course had led him to reevaluate his prior position of waiting for an overall plan before permanent construction could move forward.
"The people want a golf course," Eisenberg said. "Let's see if we can provide a golf course."
You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.
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