Fredericton City Council has voted to complete the expropriation process to secure Fredericton Exhibition Limited’s leasehold interest in the exhibition grounds property for housing, a new school to replace the century-old George Street Middle School, and to serve related community needs.
The City of Fredericton is the owner of the 30-acre property, including the exhibition grounds and the racetrack, located along Smythe and Saunders Streets. The City leases the site to Fredericton Exhibition Limited (FEL), known under its operating name NBEX, under a renewable agreement that expires in 2031.
The Government of New Brunswick’s independent Expropriations Advisory Officer François Carrier's report on the process concludes the expropriation is fair and reasonable, and the City has established community need. Carrier heard arguments for and against the expropriation at a public hearing on February 20, 2026, with evidence provided by the City of Fredericton, Fredericton Exhibition Limited, and businesses operating on the site.
Carrier's report was received by the City on May 8, and presented to Fredericton City Council at a Special Meeting on May 10, 2026. At the meeting, Fredericton City Council voted in favour of the following resolutions:
- To receive and consider the report of the Expropriations Advisory Officer and to proceed with filing a notice of expropriation of FEL’s leasehold interest in the entire property
- Providing compensation to FEL (NBEX) in the amount of $4.1 million, representing the appraised value of the leasehold interest plus 20 per cent.
- Directing staff to sell an 11.9 acre parcel of land to the Province of New Brunswick for $7.7 million so that the Province can construct a new middle school to replace George Street Middle School.
- Directing staff to prepare appropriate amendments to the Municipal Plan and the NBEX Secondary Municipal Plan to implement the development of educational, housing, and other community enriching amenities
- Allowing for continued good faith negotiations with FEL (NBEX) throughout the balance of the expropriation process.
This decision comes following the September 2025 decision of City Council to initiate the expropriation process to secure the land.
A Notice of Intention to Expropriate the leasehold interest in the entire property was filed with the Expropriations Advisory Officer on October 6, 2025, and served on Fredericton Exhibition Limited (FEL), operating as NBEX. The expropriation process is defined by the Expropriation Act, which provides the respondent with the right to object and to be heard.
The site was originally identified for redevelopment in 1990. The City and the NBEX agreed to jointly develop the site in 2019, with a Site Development Plan formally approved by both parties in 2021 following extensive public engagement and best-practice research.
The plan included housing and a new school and was adopted in 2022 by the City as the New Brunswick Exhibition Grounds Secondary Plan. Both parties have been working to deliver the plan through a Joint Decision-Making Authority committee, with no meaningful progress to date.