baɪ ðə tˈaɪm ðɪ ᵻvˈɛnt ɚɹˈaɪvd ɪn ɑːktˈoʊbɚ, ðə sˈɪɾi hæd spˈɛnt dˈɑːlɚ wˈʌn.θˈɜːɾi fˈaɪv mˈɪliən pˈeɪvɪŋ dˈaʊntaʊn stɹˈiːts, pˈʊɾɪŋ ɪn sᵻmˈɛnt sˈaɪdwɔːks, ɪmpɹˈuːvɪŋ ðə wˈɔːɾɚ ænd sˈuːɚ sˈɪstəmz, bˈɪldɪŋ ɐ stɹˈiːt ɹˈeɪlkɑːɹ sˈɪstəm, kɹiːˈeɪɾɪŋ hˈɛndɚsən pˈɑːɹk ænd sˈɛɾɪŋ ɐsˈaɪd fɚðɪ ɛksɪbˈɪʃən ɡɹˈaʊndz.
By the time the event arrived in October, the city had spent $1.35 million paving downtown streets, putting in cement sidewalks, improving the water and sewer systems, building a street railcar system, creating Henderson Park and setting aside  for the Exhibition Grounds.