Blue Island officials are considering a proposal to convert the long-vacant site of a former landfill into a venue for hosting a Cook County Fair.

Former Cook County Deputy Clerk John Mirkovic outlined his plans this month for the multiacre property at 119th Street and Vincennes Road in Blue Island.

“I’ve been out there, I’ve looked at it. I think that it is large enough and it’s really great for something of this scale,” Mirkovic told the Blue Island City Council.

But city administrator Tom Wogan said the property is a long way from development due to a slew of environmental issues that has steered developers away from it for years.

Wogan said the site has yet to undergo a second phase of environmental remediation, a project the city is looking for ways to fund. The Environmental Protection Agency must also issue a “no further remediation” letter, confirming the environmental conditions have been adequately addressed and no longer pose a risk to human health or the environment, he said.

Blue Island received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. EPA’s Brownfields program in 2009 to help cover cleanup and redevelopment costs for one parcel of the property, according to the city’s website. In 2011, the city secured another $600,000 from the same program to support development costs for three more parcels of land.

Fifth Ward Ald. Gabriel McGee raised concerns about the site’s long history of environmental issues asking whether excavation would be necessary to prepare the property for the fair.

“I like the idea, ever since I heard it I’ve liked it,” McGee said. “My concern is that with carnival rides and stuff like that, would anything need to go into the ground?”

While he doesn’t have a definitive answer yet, Mirkovic said a Ferris wheel might require excavation, but it would ultimately depend on the soil’s stability and the results of remediation efforts.

“I think that the EPA stuff is not a long-term problem, it doesn’t worry me at all,” Mirkovic said. “It actually is the reason why this is even available. People want it, but I think they realized that they can’t build a warehouse or office building.”

Mirkovic proposed a multiyear public-private partnership in which the city would receive 75 of the event profits. He also suggested that a three-member board govern the event, overseeing site improvements, and a profit reinvestment plan with city officials holding two of the seats.

“This isn’t about me making money. I’d like 75% of the profit to go back to the city and to be reinvested back into the site in a multiyear site redevelopment plan,” he told council members. “So each year, as the fair gets more popular, more revenue is coming in and more resources are going into the site for sidewalks, concrete pads, different structures and things like that.”

First Ward Ald. Dexter Johnson inquired about the city’s share of the costs.

Mirkovic said he believes the event would eventually cover its own costs. He aims to secure about $1 million through grants and sponsorships, and once the event is operational and profitable, the funds would be reinvested back into the project.

In Mirkovic’s vision for the fair, the event would span three days from Friday to Sunday, ideally taking place in mid-October.

While smaller equestrian-focused fairs primarily organized by 4-H clubs have been held in the north and south suburbs for decades, there is no record of an official Cook County Fair in the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s county fair schedule for 2024. In contrast to previous attempts to revive the long-defunct Cook County Fair, that centered on agricultural events, Mirkovic envisions a fair in Blue Island that celebrates the city’s rich history. He aims to highlight the town’s origins dating back to the 1830s, when it was a way station for settlers traveling along the Vincennes Trail, an old Indian route connecting Fort Dearborn with Vincennes, Indiana.

He proposed a fair that includes not only carnival rides, attractions and games, but also incorporates science and technology. Mirkovic said this could involve inviting companies to showcase robotics and other technology-based exhibits.

Seventh Ward Ald. Josh Roll said he’s interested in a fair that has a focus on modern agriculture and urban farming practices in Cook County, which could connect to the county’s history as predominantly farmland back in the early 1900s. While much of Cook County has transitioned to urban development, Mirkovic suggested the fair could appeal to both traditional farming methods and the rising popularity of urban agriculture and farmers markets.

A 1999 Chicago Tribune article points to how the county came to be without an official agricultural fair since the mid-1900s. In 1928, the fair was held over six days during an extended Labor Day weekend at Northwest Highway and Baldwin Road in Palatine.

Efforts to revive the Cook County Fair resurfaced in 1948 with an 11-day event held at Soldier Field. However, the fair had little agricultural focus and instead featured a fashion show, chest X-rays and lessons on how to control city rats.

Former Orland Park Trustee Tom Dubelbeis was behind another effort to bring back a fair later in the 1990s, according to the Tribune article. But the effort failed when 60% of voters rejected a referendum.

Mirkovic said his determination to bring back the county fair began six years ago when he discovered the county lacks an official fair.

“The story of why the fair went away is convoluted, but the story of bringing it back will be why everyone will want to be a part of this event,” Mirkovic said.

smoilanen@chicagotribune.com