Bloomington approves purchase of Kelley farm for possible World Fair site

The last working farm in Bloomington could become the site of the 2023 World’s Fair.The Minnesota World’s Fair Bid Committee announced Wednesday that if the state wins Expo 2023, it will be held on a 59-acre property nestled between the Mall of America and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge that has been owned by the same family since 1932. During a joint meeting Tuesday of the Bloomington City Council and the city’s Port Authority, officials voted to buy the Kelley farm property, also known as the Spruce Shadows Farm, for $32.3 million as a possible Expo site.Developer Ryan Cos. has been selected to consult on the property’s potential to host the Expo. To buy the property, the city will use mostly liquor and lodging tax revenue designated for development of the South Loop district where the Kelley farm is located.