A West Valley landmark has been reduced to rubble. The purpose of this website is to preserve the Trotting Park's history, to tell the story of the owner's failed dream, and to educate the curious about this unusual racetrack and its troubled past. What is your camera of choice? July 23, 2020 - Nearly three years after the beloved Trotting Park was reduced to a pile of rubble, still nothing has been done with the site. When she was a student at Desert Edge High School, there was a ghost hunting club that explored Trotting Park. 27 Colliers International. Also I am contemplating the idea of opening a web shop that sells some Trotting Park logo merchandise. August 10, 2016 - Sale pending! Following the demolition of the grandstand in 2018, the seller has increased the asking price of the land by $7.5 million from the previous listing two years ago. Demolition of the Phoenix Trotting Park, a massive, abandoned horse-racing track near Interstate 10 and Loop 303 in Goodyear, began Wednesday morning. It was here that he purchased a 640-acre parcel near Cotton Lane Road and McDowell Road for his new harness racing track, the Phoenix Trotting Park. (17 Jun 2018). 22 AutoSwap USA. The hulking race track has stood. While commonly used today, this method of construction was considered cutting-edge in the 1960s. West Valley View. February 12, 2022 - Thank you to everyone who sent in their letters following the "Only In Your State" article. (PDF). Thanks :). It always pays off to be silent and aware of your surroundings when exploring alone.Great pictures. There aren't a ton of 194 acre land parcels available; but there also aren't a lot of people who need a parcel of land that large. I was so damn excited to finally see one, although nowhere near the signs or the big bogs that flank 95. In 1975 he was inducted into the Living Hall of Fame. I will definitely keep posting. GOODYEAR, Ariz It was built 50 years too soon. Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia. 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. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. The Phoenix Trotting Park was expertly designed and opened in 1965. (1983). MAY 22, 2017 - FOX10 PHOENIX - Abandoned Phoenix Trotting Park scheduled to be demolished in December Check it out here: Valley 101 Explores the History of the Phoenix Trotting Park. 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. Temp: 33. One pundit described the hulking shell of the track as "a giant tan Jetsonian mausoleum built in the middle of a desert to host harness racing, without any apparent regard for how flagrantly dumb and doomed it would be to do something like that.". I have also added some demolition pictures to the Photo Gallery page. (10 Oct 2011). 25 Horsey Set Gets New House. The park is also located about 20 miles outside of Phoenix and was built long before any major roads made the area easily accessible to those in the city or its suburbs.[5]. Read a comprehensive history of the Dunnigan Family, the Buffalo Raceway, and the Phoenix Trotting Park. How many ghost towns still exist in Arizona? But the lack of a decent roadway to get there from Phoenix and perhaps the wearing off of the novelty of a harness race forced its closure just two years later. Most of my explorations have been in the Rust Belt and the Southwest, but I desperately want to take a trip through the rest of the southern states. MAY 21, 2017 - KTAR NEWS - Phoenix Trotting Park, an iconic horse-racing track, will be demolished 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. Mary Beck, 26, of Goodyear knows people who have trespassed on the property. The Short Life and Long Death of Phoenix Trotting Park. The New York Times. Soar over the Trotting Park with amazing aerial drone videos sent in by readers, plus other clips. (11 Dec 1996). Speaking of which, there is a new one out in Construction Equipment Guide, please take a look: OCT 10, 2017 - CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE - Demolition Under Way on Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park. My grandmother worked there when it first opened it was such a progressive and beautiful concept. Read the latest details in this excellent article from the West Valley View: "Demolition Zone Ahead" from the West Valley View. Very informative and I can't wait to go see some of these places as well. The track sat idle after racing closed, but some horses trained there decades later. Phoenix Trotting Park was one of the most incredible places I'd ever explored. The 5/8-mile track was the first in North America to have spiral turns to help horses get through the curves better, but the fastest mile of the evening was 2:10.4 by Santa Raider. Discovery Inc. is suing Paramount Global, saying its competitor aired new episodes of the popular animated comedy series "South Park" after Warner paid for exclusive rights. The 194-acre property was vacant for 51 years before demolition. As a result of the growing popularity of car racing when it first became a sport, other similar races which involved horses and cycles (aka the predecessors to modern bicycles with the enormous wheels) went out of style. There wasn't much down there, just a lot of open space and a few random fixtures. In 1915, Dunnigan traded in his drafting pencils for politics as he took a seat on the New York State Senate. The horse racing park was built in 1964 and opened the following year to any eager gamblers willing to. If anyone knows any information about it, please use the Contact Form to send me some details! The horses belonged to Ron and Arla Delver, who told the StarPhoenix earlier this month that two horses were found dead on Dec. 14 and two more were found on Dec. 21 on summer pasture land. The University of Notre Dame. 34 Smith, DeWayne. 3 John J. Dunnigan Is Dead at 82. [20], The Trotting Park closed permanently in 1966. The Short Life and Long Death of Phoenix Trotting Park. 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. According to a YouTube video, a motorcycle show was held at the park on March 26, 1988. FOX 10 Phoenix. View our extensive collection of historical and modern-day images, including rare construction photos. January 12, 2016 - The Trotting Park was the subject of a major story today in the Arizona Republic. It's an obscure reference to a cartoon short by Don Hertzfeldt I'd seen years ago. I am also a huge fan of this site. Though it has weathered the past 52 years, the grandstand's reinforced concrete construction is no match for the heavy equipment that appeared on site earlier this week. John J. Dunnigan was instrumental in passing the "Pari-mutuel Revenue Law" of 1940,[1] which effectively allowed people to bet on horse races in New York State. [8], Undeterred by his failed business venture, Dunnigan moved west to California and set about rebuilding his career. The Phoenix Trotting Park was a horse racing track built-in 1964 in Goodyear, Arizona. description and a spaghetti-like tangle of interstate overpasses looms over the shell of the old track. I didn't have a chance to stop and explore hardly any places in Texas, but I'm hoping I get to sometime soon. Phoenix Mixed-Use Project Takes a Giant Step. Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord issued a statement about the property. The plan was to build a grandstand with a capacity of 5,400 spectators. And it was built west of the city when the greatest growth then was in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. Counter conspiracy: Moose on 95 in Clinton will only reveal themselves to you if you are a true Mainer. Also added a few new letters from readers. They were quick to point out that the track was built In the early 1960s, Dunnigan envisioned a grand horseracing park on this remote tract of land in the . Thanks to Annie for sending in photos from 'The Harness Horse' magazine and to Mike at PaperJet for their contributions. [15] Total construction time from the groundbreaking ceremony to the first race was less than 12 months. The massive structure consists of more than 27,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. The building has since sat empty, and has fallen into disrepair. West Valley View. MAY 17, 2017 - WEST VALLEY VIEW - Demolition Zone Ahead. Over the years, the city has grown up around the Trotting Park, which sat idle and abandoned for more than 40 years. Ground Floor - Bar, Snack Stand, Betting Windows, Food Prep areas I sent pictures to people back home and told them about where I'd just been. The hot weather of the desert caused events to be uncomfortable to attendees. 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 Phoenix Trotting Park was used as a filming location in the 1998 action movie "No Code of Conduct" starring Martin Sheen and Charlie Sheen and directed by glam rocker Bret Michaels. A 1965 Arizona Republic article also lists Eugenio Grasetto as the architect. guaranteed money makers in that era. Photo by: Don Daniels of mi-harness.net, View Rare Photos of the Trotting Park During Construction. (14 Dec 1966). It was visible from the I-10 and became a popular destination for urban exploration until security guards were installed at the property. 24 A Glass Enclosed Palace for the "Sport of Kings. West Valley View photo by Casey Pritchard. Removal of . Watch as the abandoned Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear, Arizona is brought to the ground with one of the largest demolition machines in the world. But Phoenix Trotting Park proved to be the exception. [23] They built the Cotton Lane RV Resort on the backstretch of the track. PhoenixTrottingPark.jpg . For a hiking trail that leads to an abandoned village, check out this Arizona abandoned village trail thats sure to intrigue you. SEP 27, 2017 - AZFAMILY - Facebook Live Stream of trotting park demolition March 27, 2016 - Photo update: I have recently come across some new, never-before seen photos of the Trotting Park. The park was used in 2000 for the filming of the movie ". Sources for information are linked at the end of each statement. Im going to get some good shots, good memories, Machuca said. At the time of this writing, there are approximately 300 known and recorded ghost towns in Arizona. Sterling Publishing. 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 . Big thanks to Scott Elder for sharing this video with us. definitely keep trying, it is so worth it. Slowly but surely, it succumbed to the elements, blending in with the desert surroundings a little bit more each day. I have added the latest batch of letters to the Letters page. 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