Originally budgeted at $3 million, it ended up costing about $10 million. Phoenix Trotting Park was seen as the western version of Florida's popular Pompano Park, bringing pari-mutuel action on trotters and pacers to new territories. From left, Daniela Ochoa, Eleazar Ayala and Mayeny Mendivil from Phoenix, Ariz., attend the Feria del Caballo Espaol on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at the Industry Hills Expo Center in the City of . May 18, 2017 - Two more great news stories in the news today about the Trotting Park. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. Well meet with the family after everything has been taken down and cleaned up, then determine where were going to go with it from there, Smith said. Goodyear residents and leaders hoped for an entertainment destination where the iconic Phoenix Trotting Park once stood, but are more likely to see light industrial at the site off Interstate 10 in the West Valley. Very nice series of photos--I imagine it's really incredible to be there in person.Where are you off to next? Phase I opened in 2002 with 285 spaces, while Phase II added an additional 300 spaces. There has been a lot of trespassing on the property, active trespassing, and the numbers are pretty staggering, Smith said. The 1960s were an era of unbridled optimism in harness racing. July 9, 2017 - FOX 10 Phoenix: Goodyear Police Asking People to Stay Away from Trotting Park. Time Magazine. She broke her arm and lost her shoes its always been something kids come and (do), of course its trespassing, but they come and check it out. In 1960, Phoenix was not the thriving metropolis it is today. May 22, 2017 Here is a roundup of the recent news stories about the Trotting Park: Suddenly he made off like a bounding hare, ears flung back, chasing the shadow of a lowskimming gull. Many readers have reached out to me with submissions of photos of the Trotting Park. 23 Goodyear Trotting Park Receives Interest. I have wondered about this place! 16 Slater, Chuck. Their . 2. Such a waste of a unique structure. 11 Sport: $100,000,000 Turnover?. This is just amazing i am studying public design and this is really helping me so please keep posting your experience :). A friend of hers was injured during a visit. One example of this shifting interest can arguably be seen in the abandoned horse race track known . The facility, which opened on Jan. 11, 1965 . They were quick to point out that the track was built Read full article: Phoenix Mixed-Use Project Takes a Giant Step. 7 Leous, Dick. Phoenix Trots Out A $9 Million Track With Spiral Curves. Built in 1964, the Phoenix Trotting Park was actually located in Goodyear, Arizona. Repeated calls to officials at the City of Goodyear were not returned. Will be content with your great pictures. Phoenix Trotting Park History. its my all time favorite place that I have explored. The Phoenix Trotting Park was a horse racing track built-in 1964 in Goodyear, Arizona. Haven't tried to go inside, though. Stars of the sport like Billy Haughton and Joe O'Brien and the reigning national dash champion Bob Farrington came to the desert for the opening night action, but the honor of driving first winner went to Gerry Kazmaier. It was also featured on the cover of Harness Horse magazine and Hoof Beats magazine. May 14, 2017 - Couple of site fixes and upgrades today. Also I have fixed the Contact form. [12] It is part of the Erie County Fairgrounds and is located at: 5600 McKinley Pkwy, Hamburg, NY 14075. Elevation: 1250 ft. Originally planned to be built for a cost of about $3 million, the facility ended up costing around $10 million. Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. YouTube. -Zack b. Only the 55.47 acre "pit parcel" remains for sale at this time. A 1965 Arizona Republic article also lists Eugenio Grasetto as the architect. In 1915, Dunnigan traded in his drafting pencils for politics as he took a seat on the New York State Senate. Check it out on the videos page. Local Sports Things To Do Business eNewspaper Politics USA TODAY Obituaries Travel Colorado River and the debate over water rights begins . I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. Thanks :). Read the latest details in this excellent article from the West Valley View: "Demolition Zone Ahead" from the West Valley View. The population of the Phoenix metro area is more than 4.3 million people, making it the 13th largest metro area in the United States. Welcome to the Desert Botanical Garden Gift Shop, we have the best gifts & souvenirs in Phoenix! The picture quality is amazing and looking for a new camera. While commonly used today, this method of construction was considered cutting-edge in the 1960s. After pouring, the fresh concrete was covered with black polyethylene plastic sheets to conserve moisture as well as to simulate steam curing methods. The Phoenix Gazette, G3. It has to be one of the most amazing places to explore in az that I know about! June 30, 2017 - Huge photo update! Cordes. No Code of Conduct (1998). In 1975 he was inducted into the Living Hall of Fame. A lot of research has been done to ensure the accuracy and validity of information shown on this website. Thanks, Sue! Phoenix Trotting Park was a fantasy track when it opened in 1965, but the fantasy became a nightmare when it ceased operations in December of 1966, less than two years after its . How cool that your grandmother got to work there! 35 Padgett, Mike. This is the Phoenix Trotting Park - a huge complex in the United States that was built as a horse racing track in 1964. September 27, 2017 - Dear friends, visitors, and fans of the Phoenix Trotting Park - Today I am saddened to report that the owners have begun demolishing this truly unique and iconic structure. Built 20 years before the freeway, the futuristic structure has sat for more than half a century, like a spaceship that landed in the middle of the desert, evoking mystified stares of passing. The massive structure consists of more than 27,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. 5041 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix . And at his side, on the big brilliant bay horse, the smallish, black-bearded Welshman. If you have additional information that may be useful, please Contact Me. 6 Waldron, Howard T. 23rd Consecutive Victory Is Goal Of Irish In Pitt Contest Saturday. I also saw locals walking by but they did not say anything. Thats his secondary preference, though. Big thanks to Scott Elder for sharing this video with us. Thank you to the College Times and 3TV/CBS5 for your interest in the story of the Trotting Park. It feels like ages since I was there. SEP 27, 2017 - AZCENTRAL - What is the fate of the Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear? The trotter track was certainly an iconic landmark for many years, but we are grateful for the investment by Citrus Commerce Centre LLC, and are eager to see how that land will be developed in the near future, Lord said. The buyers and the sale price have not yet been disclosed. Good luck in the Dateland area. I have also added some demolition pictures to the Photo Gallery page. September 7, 2016 - We are saddened to announce the passing of James J. Dunnigan Jr. The track opened with a 60-day meeting on January 11, 1965. 1 John J. Dunnigan. hello jessalyn, I went just a couple months ago and actually parked on a dirt road right by the trailer community directly behind trotting park. Its just different.. Berlin, Germany Berlin 1947 (Part 11) aka Trotting Race I haven't been to Corn Springs, but I may have to check it out next time I'm in the area. So sad they have scheduled it for demolition; that makes this blog entry particularly valuable. And it was built west of the city when the greatest growth then was in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. You've probably driven past this town on your way to Las Vegas. Some require great effort to seek out, but others are hiding right under our noses in plain sight. January 12, 2016 - The Trotting Park celebrates its 51st year today. Indeed! The point is, once this building went down, the entire population of birds left that structure to make the houses and other buildings of the west valley their new homes. The track, which was built in 1964 and used for a little more than two years, has sat vacant since, but is seen as an iconic building by many Phoenicians, especially residents of the West Valley. In January 1965, the Phoenix Trotting Park, a harness racing track, opened. It was built of reinforced concrete, and could . [7][8], A close up view of a corner detail of a balcony. Attendees filled the beautiful grandstand to watch trotting-style racing, but not for very long. According to the 1983 book "A Guide to the Architecture of Metro Phoenix" by the Arizona Institute of Architects, Phoenix Trotting Park was designed by Impressa Eugenio Grassetto of Padua, Italy. Racing Beneath The Peaks. Cant wait til later this week when I do a full exploration. Thank you for following my adventures! [8] While the track seemed promising at first, a variety of factors caused it to close after only two and a half seasons,[9] leaving Dunnigan nearly bankrupt. Check out the Downs at Santa Fe. (19 Jan 1934). The large, futuristically designed structure gave an optimistic look for the 1960s. Someone had left cans of spray paint sitting out. 98. 21 TwiMet. He purchased a huge plot of land from Karl and Norbert Abel[15], who owned vast amounts of land in the area. Looking for something lost in a past life. But I did happen upon the mangled remains of a rabbit. (1983). GCU hosted a number of small rodeo events including the Junior Rodeo and the 1993 All-Arabian Horse Society Spring Show.[34]. The grandstand lies. I guess you could sit back and wait for it to die down. After 52 years of existence, the Trotting Park was sadly demolished in September 2017. Such a neat place. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Removal of . I have worked hard to make this website a great resource for all things related to the former Phoenix Trotting Park. Warner Bros. Select from premium Phoenix Trotting Park of the highest quality. Future plans include availability for private parties and, yes, maybe even weddings. However, the cantilever at the roof level reaches a remarkable 44 feet with the attachment of the front fascia units. In 1973, Dunnigan was awarded "The Comeback of the Decade" award from the U.S. Harness Writers, for his part in launching the successful harness race meeting at Los Alamitos, Calif and later Golden Bear Raceway. Assuredly no one is going to salvage the old track and bring back racing. I've been using the Sony RX100M3. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Unknown magazine scan. Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord issued a statement about the property. There were also thousands of bats as well. Founded as a silver mining town in 1863, this is considered a living ghost town since the area still holds a population of 352. It's unlikely, however, that the trotting park in the desert will ever gain new life. Russian held trotting race and black market traders . this place is incredible. Added some more info to the History page, new homepage layout with the 4 featured items, and I fixed the Navigation so that it actually works on smartphones now! Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Contact Us, Valley 101 Explores the History of the Phoenix Trotting Park, Phoenix Mixed-Use Project Takes a Giant Step, Demolition Under Way on Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park, Demolition of massive Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear begins. The construction of the facility was undertaken as a joint venture by Gilbert & Dolan Enterprises and E.L. Farmer Construction Company, Inc.[3] Various incentives during the events that were held, such as free parking and admission did initially lead to decent attendance, including an opening day showing of 12,000 people. Goodyear Ballpark, the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians, is just a few miles away. Phoenix, AZ Area; Phoenix Trotting Park; Max Delta Mine; Scorpion Gulch; Picacho Peak Trading Post; Route 66; Abandoned Mines; Twin Arrows Trading Post; Apache Death Cave; Two Guns, AZ ghost town; Meteor City Trading Post; Ella's Trading Post; Sunshine Trading Post in Canyon Diablo; Titan II Missile Silos; Willcox, AZ; Mini Golf Course; Willcox . Thanks for sending it in. 20 Goodyear's Horse Track Becomes 'White Elephant'. Phoenix Trotting Park Suspends Racing Indefinitely. Im going to get some good shots, good memories, Machuca said. I spent 3-4 hours there. Ivy Walls and Horse Stalls. 12 Buffalo Raceway. Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. No occupancy. Phoenix Trotting Park was built on a grand scale, employing a European Architect who built a state of the art facility in 1966. First of all: INCREDIBLE photography. GOODYEAR, Ariz It was built 50 years too soon. Phoenix Trotting Park Abandoned. This page contains a listing of print and electronic media sources that mention the Phoenix Trotting Park. In this week's episode of . Check out Long-vacant Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear is in escrow, could be demolished by Adrian Hedden. MAY 17, 2017 - WEST VALLEY VIEW - Demolition Zone Ahead. So you only use the Sony RX100M3 camera for all your photos? PhoenixTrottingPark.jpg . I don't want to get busted, but I've wanted to go inside this place for nearly two years now!!! He did get permission before flying there. The elder James J. Dunnigan was the one who built the Phoenix Trotting Park, and he passed away in 1983. According to a YouTube video, a motorcycle show was held at the park on March 26, 1988. (10 Oct 2011). And did you know there are actual Arizona ghost towns within Maricopa county? (14 Jan 2016). It opened in January 1965 to a sell-out crowd. 8 Buffalo Raceway History. 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