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WEBVTT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS TODAY. REPORTER HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED SOME OF THOSE BIG NAME MUSICIANS? THEY WILL STOP AT OUR NEIGHBORS BUT NOT HERE. THE STATE FAIR COMMISSION WANTS TO CHANGE THAT. TH HAVE 236 ACRES TO WORK WITH HERE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. THEY SAY ALBUQUERQUE IS THE PERFECT STOP FOR AN -- FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR. BIG NAMES THAT SEEM TO ALWAYS BYPASS ALBUQUERQUE ON TOUR. >> WHEN YOU LISTEN TO 94 ROCK, THEY TALK ABOUT CONCERTS. REPORTER: ACCORDING TO THE STATE FAIR COMMISSION, THEY BYPASS OUR CITY BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A BIG ENOUGH OR MODERN AND -- OR MODERN ENOUGH FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. REPORTER: THE STUDY, LOOKING AT COST AND DESIGN. >> LET US STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. GET THE CONVERSATION GOING AGAIN. REPORTER: THE COLISEUM DOES GET SOME GREAT ACTS. BUT IT OPENE IN 1957. IT CANNOT ACCOMMODATE THE BIG STAGE SHOWS. >> PERFECT EXAMPLE, PANIC IN THE DISCO. HE HAS A FLYING PIANO. REPORTER: A BIG QUESTION --HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST? EXPO NEW MEXICO SAYS IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL BUT IT WOULD BE FUNDED BY A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING. >> BONDS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. REPORTER THE STUDY IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE COMMISSION WO

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Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars are all examples of big-name artists who always seem to bypass Albuquerque on tour. "When you listen to the radio, they say so-and- so is bypassing Albuquerque. But, they are going to be in Denver,” said Lorraine Gullett. According to the State Fair Commission, that's because there is not a big enough-and modern enough space to accommodate them. "We need to catch up with the rest of the country,” said Dan Mourning, general manager of Expo New Mexico.For over a year and a half, the commission has been working on a study to bring a 15,000- seat, state-of-the-art arena to the fairgrounds. The study looked at cost and design. "Let’s stop talking about this. Let's really get this conversation going again and really do something this time,” said Mourning.Tingley Coliseum, which is already at the fairgrounds, gets some bigger acts. It holds 11,000 people, but it opened in 1957. Times are changing. It just cannot accommodate those big stage shows like Lady Gaga would want to do. "Perfect example was Panic! at the Disco. He has a flying piano in part of the stage production, and we couldn't do that here because we didn't have the ceiling height,” Mourning said.So, how much would this cost? Mourning said it's too early to tell. But, most likely, it would be funded by a combination of private and public funds. "Severance tax bonds, bonds being sold, things of that nature,” he said.The study is set to be completed within the next few months. The commission will then present the findings to the governor.