As state fairs rage on across the country, the premier real estate venues in state capitols are likewise preparing to host events year-round.

The farm-style buildings headquartered here – often built in the era before HVAC and ductwork – are challenging to bring up to modern standards. But states from Kentucky to Iowa have made forward-thinking investments in their fairgrounds to bring a steady stream of winter business on land that used to sit fallow.

The State of Illinois is now joining the list of states deploying millions in capital improvement funds, after having spent most of the post-2008 Great Recession era racking up deferred maintenance bills on state fair properties.

The crown jewel of this capital improvement plan is the Coliseum of Champions, a primarily equestrian, oval-shaped amphitheater built in 1901 that was never built for year-round, temperature-controlled operation.

With seating immediately underneath the optimal spot to locate a circular run of double wall spiral duct, sheet metal contractor E.L. Pruitt had to get creative.

Lifts aren’t built to carry 500 pound pieces of duct, so they brought in a telehandler and a cradle that E.L. Pruitt staff fabricated in-shop, allowing installers to quickly place the duct runs of 4, 6 and 10 feet into their hangers.

“We were able to hang 600 feet of double wall spiral in seven working days, so it went really nice,” said Sheet Metal Foreman Mitchell Noll.

Watch the video above, or read about this project and more in the The ACHR NEWS Aug. 7 issue featuring SNIPS NEWS.