Phoenix Trotting Park, An Architectural Paragon, Has Set Out To Win The West! (10 Oct 2011). Uh oh.. Though closed in 1966, the 194-acre property had been continuously owned by either individuals or corporations/businesses. 22 AutoSwap USA. 21 TwiMet. )Trotting Park is really a trip( enjoyed your great photos! It was built in 1964 for $9.5 million, more than $6 million over budget, to house spectators during harness races. West Valley View. Soar over the Trotting Park with amazing aerial drone videos sent in by readers, plus other clips. Arizona Corporation Commission. Select from premium Phoenix Trotting Park of the highest quality. What is the fate of the Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear? This is just amazing i am studying public design and this is really helping me so please keep posting your experience :). The large, futuristically designed structure gave an optimistic look for the 1960s. Temp: 33. Raising the Bar: Chocolate's History, Art, and Taste With Sophia Contreras Rea GCU hosted a number of small rodeo events including the Junior Rodeo and the 1993 All-Arabian Horse Society Spring Show.[34]. First of all: INCREDIBLE photography. There were also thousands of bats as well. [8], Undeterred by his failed business venture, Dunnigan moved west to California and set about rebuilding his career. As the region lacked major roads from Phoenix to Goodyear, there was not enough business and the track closed two years later. With pepper spray in hand, I descended a dark stairway into the abyss. 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. A West Valley landmark has been reduced to rubble. Third Level - Employee Locker Rooms, Employee Cafeteria, Main Kitchen, Store Rooms, Restaurant Space Recent news reports about Trotting Park have brought a lot of focus to it, Smith said. At various times during his long association with the sport, he served as a director of the USTA, Harness Tracks of America and the Harness Racing Institute. [2] He died in December 1965 at the age of 82.[3]. Thanks for any info! Recently started following your adventures, as we stayed at Desert Center for a month this winter. Man Injured in Fall at Goodyear Trotting Park. Therefore, the published date is the earliest known capture that could be located using the Wayback Machine. 14 Arizona Harness Racing, Inc. (7 Jun 1961). Read full article: Phoenix Mixed-Use Project Takes a Giant Step. Have added a whole new section of almost 50 images including vintage advertisements and rare construction photos to the Photo Gallery page. (18 Sep 2020). Someone had left cans of spray paint sitting out. The second night the crowd fell to 4,000, which wasn't unexpected, but then the crowds simply kept shrinking. Only the 55.47 acre "pit parcel" remains for sale at this time. Thoroughbred racing is held at Turf Paradise just north of central Phoenix, but its best days are in the past. Still hard to believe that it's really gone. The track sat idle after racing closed, but some horses trained there decades later. 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 inaugural card. There wasn't much down there, just a lot of open space and a few random fixtures. This old abandoned dog racing track in Arizona was found just off the highway in Black Canyon City and continued to decay since it was abandoned in the 1980s. [1] Ivone Grassetto, head of Impressa Eugenio Grassetto of Padua, Italy designed the grandstand and the main racing strip. You mentioned going in a certain side, from the view videos we've seen it looks like there is two fences and lots of fines for trespassing - was it the same when you visited & you were just careful? Dunnigan was able to drum up some financing from his trotting buddies in New York, including Norman S. Woolworth (a relative of the wealthy J.W. He did get permission before flying there. The land sold for $16.5 million to a New York-based developer called Keystone Equities LLC. The structure posed a number of hazards including asbestos, dust, pigeon droppings, as well as damaged interior walls. He purchased a huge plot of land from Karl and Norbert Abel[15], who owned vast amounts of land in the area. The Phoenix Trotting Park was built in 1964 under the vision of a man by the name of James Dunnigan. 15 Werner, M.R. [21] The parking lot was used as an automotive swap meet called "AutoSwap USA" in 1991. While commonly used today, this method of construction was considered cutting-edge in the 1960s. The hollow roof girders were also part of the track's innovative heating system, which kept the spectators warm during the winter months. According to a new article published in the West Valley View, the Phoenix Trotting Park is in escrow. 29 Gullickson, Glenn. Phase I opened in 2002 with 285 spaces, while Phase II added an additional 300 spaces. Welcome to the Desert Botanical Garden Gift Shop, we have the best gifts & souvenirs in Phoenix! Growth in the "Valley of the Sun" is rebounding from the economic downturn which started in 2008. West Valley View. September 7, 2016 - We are saddened to announce the passing of James J. Dunnigan Jr. Roof Level - No Public Access. Therefore, you won't be surprised by its current spooky state. 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. April 14, 2017 - A third person has now sent me a drone flyover video of the trotting track, and it's one of the best I've seen yet! Ezra Machuca of Buckeye was there September 28 to take pictures. Glad you're enjoying the site. 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. 16 Slater, Chuck. There were a number of daunting reasons for closing, like high operational expenses and flood hazards. A massive explosion scene at the end of the movie injured a number of pigeons who inhabited the grandstand. Please keep posting! The asking price for the 194-acre parcel of land is a whopping $16,500,000 USD! [35] Roles Inn of America company in the late 1990s. "The trotting park might have been a mirage from another age or another world.". Thanks, Mike! The memory of this place lives on in our pictures, videos, and news stories. Welcome to Ghost Towns of Arizona and Surrounding States A ghost town is a completely abandoned or semi-abandoned town or city. [31] Keystone proposed a plan for a mixed-use development comprising office, commercial, retail, light-industrial and entertainment uses[32]. 10 Arizona Rites Held for James Dunnigan. 1 John J. Dunnigan. In the silence I tried to imagine what the place alive and filled with thousands of cheering spectators. In the early 1960s, James J. Dunnigan invested heavily in a new harness racing track called Phoenix Trotting Park, located in Arizona. No Code of Conduct (1998). [17] The track was originally supposed to cost about $2 million, but the final cost ended up being a whopping $9.5 million. [25]. 31 Marinescu, Adriana. Fourth Level - Dining Platforms, Main Seating, Cashier Counters, Executive Office, Conference Room January 12, 2016 - The Trotting Park celebrates its 51st year today. 35 Padgett, Mike. Many thanks to everyone for their patience. Originally budgeted at $3 million, it ended up costing about $10 million. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. Theyre all fairly interesting, thats for sure! It appeared to be the control room for the elevator system. Two late Hall of Famers, Norman Woolworth and Delvin Miller, were among those who helped bankroll the new venture. It was such a thrill and an amazing high. The Notre Dame Scholastic, Vol. A lot of research has been done to ensure the accuracy and validity of information shown on this website. Love Arizona? How cool that your grandmother got to work there! Link no longer valid. It featured a glass enclosed temperature controlled grandstand that could accommodate 15,000 fans. 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. Haven't tried to go inside, though. It mostly sat idle. I probably sounded like a raving lunatic, but I was too excited to care. Phoenix Trotting Park could be reduced to ashes if Arizona's long-shuttered Standardbred track is sold. I will definitely keep posting. Also, look for a mention of the Trotting Park on Page 6 of the May 18-June 22 issue of the College Times, found on college campuses throughout the Valley. Article originally posted on Phoenix Business Journal on February 6, 2023 A developer is seeking an indefinite extension for a 224-acre mixed-use business and retail center that's slated for the former Phoenix Trotting Park property along Interstate 10 and the Loop 303 in Goodyear. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It feels like ages since I was there. Plans for the track property are not known. description and a spaghetti-like tangle of interstate overpasses looms over the shell of the old track. [27] The park was reported to be in escrow in August of 2016 [28], but that sale fell through and did not complete. The grandstand lies. 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. Search from Phoenix Trotting Park stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. From the roof I enjoyed some great views of different sections of the structure. Gilbert & Dolan Enterprises/E.L. Warner Bros. This website is not affiliated with the owners of the Trotting Park in any way, and I genuinely wish they would find a way to preserve or re-use the building instead of tearing it down. Just received an email with a 2nd great drone video of the park from Fly UAS AZ! I personally want to see it, so maybe other people will go, Cool, somebody got pictures of it up close. With the fence right here, you cant get that close, but with this, I should be able to get pretty close.. 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. (Feb 1967). [6], In December 2015, the property was put on the market for $16.5 million. He did get permission before flying there. Time Magazine. Thanks, Sue! For $16.5 Million, You Could Own the Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear The Arizona Republic, 2016; Man Injured in Fall at Goodyear Trotting Park West Valley View, 2012; The Short Life and Long Death of Phoenix Trotting Park Harness Racing Update, 2014; Phoenix Trotting Park Suspends Racing Indefinitely Harness Horse Magazine, 1966 FOX 10 Phoenix. Discovery sues Paramount over 'South Park' deal,NEW YORK (AP) Warner Bros. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. 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. I also saw locals walking by but they did not say anything. I have been to the Houston area a few times and once drove from San Antonio to Los Angeles, stopping to spend the night in Bisbee, AZ. The shell of the space-age grandstand has survived for a half-century in the dry Arizona climate although the decay is obvious even from a distance. What are some other creepy abandoned places in Arizona? Please be respectful of the No Trespassing signs posted around the building. Very informative and I can't wait to go see some of these places as well. The structure was demolished in 2017. They allowed the building to achieve unusually long cantilevers of 39 feet for the seat girders and 32 feet for the roof girders. Check it out on the videos page. Plant your own desert garden with a starter cactus from this indoor-outdoor gift shop. The large, futuristically designed structure gave an optimistic look for the 1960s. Revenue failed to compensate for the difference. 30 1068 N Cotton Ln Goodyear AZ. Mr. Dunnigan is survived by one brother, Eddie; and several nieces and nephews. The horse racing park was built in 1964 and opened the following year to any eager gamblers willing to. The origins of the Phoenix Trotting Park begin with the Dunnigans, an Irish-American family living in New York at the turn of the century. West Valley View. I haven't been to Corn Springs, but I may have to check it out next time I'm in the area. About 45 minutes before I left, I heard the loud echoing of someone else exploring the place. While commonly used today, this method of construction was considered cutting-edge in the 1960s. (13 May 2004). Ivone was a While it is possible that more than one person worked on the design, this has not yet been verified. Demolition of massive Phoenix Trotting Park in Goodyear begins, 1965 article sheds light on what the Phoenix Trotting Park used to be, Demolition Under Way on Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park, The Colossal Ruins of Phoenix Trotting Park. Learn about the 1998 movie and the famous explosion scene. I have wondered about this place! 34 Smith, DeWayne. Phoenix Trotting Park This building was once home to thousands of pigeons. 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. May 14, 2017 - Couple of site fixes and upgrades today. Ivy Walls and Horse Stalls. (PDF). (14 Dec 1966). August 23, 2016 - Phoenix Trotting Park is in the news again, this time in The Arizona Republic. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing. John J. Dunnigan. (21 Aug 1996). 28 Gullickson, Glenn. There has been a lot of trespassing on the property, active trespassing, and the numbers are pretty staggering, Smith said. In this series, the nation's top 2-year-old and 3-year-old trotters and pacers compete. The Phoenix Trotting Park opened in 1965 for horse racing, but it was only open for two seasons before it was closed and abandoned. James J. Dunnigan moved to Arizona from New York and acquired 640 acres of land near Perryville for his "harness racing track", the Phoenix Trotting Park. The scraped site was re-listed for sale in Summer 2018 for $24 million dollars. 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. (17 Jun 2018). 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. Did you ever drive past the Phoenix Trotting Park? Notre Dame Alumnus, Vol. The half-mile track was a success right from the start, and flourished under the management of James J. Dunnigan, who served as the president for 25 years. 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. The industrial buildings are expected to begin going up in late summer or early fall. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); March 26, 2022 - AZCentral has published an article about the land where the Trotting Park once stood being redeveloped as a mixed-use site with industrial and retail coming. 44, No. The backstretch area now is the Cotton Lane RV and Mobile Home Park. Today the area surrounding the Phoenix Trotting Park is dotted with houses, apartments, retail outlets of every Good luck in the Dateland area. Phoenix Trotting Park 17758 W Roosevelt St, Goodyear, AZ 85338 This horse track lasted for only two seasons before permanent abandonment. In this week's episode of . Woolworth family and owner of Clearview Stables in Maine) and Delvin Miller, a harness racing Hall of Famer who was involved with the Roosevelt Raceway in Long Island[16]. (2011). 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'm so happy to have found your site. A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. Demolition of the Phoenix Trotting Park, a massive, abandoned horse-racing track near Interstate 10 and Loop 303 in Goodyear, began Wednesday morning. Senator John J. Dunnigan on Feb. 22, 1934, Trotters at the Buffalo Raceway on May 25, 1974, Re-creation of the Phoenix Trotting Park logo, Phoenix Trotting Park under construction in 1964. I'd never seen something so gigantic yet totally abandoned. Thank you, Alexis! The Arizona Republic, pp 13. Phoenix Trotting Park was built on a grand scale, employing a European Architect who built a state of the art facility in 1966. The firm and its eponymous founder are famous for inventing the modern shopping mall as we know it today. The Phoenix Trotting Park would last only one more year. Costing around $10 million (or $96,132,258 million today), the facility was state of the art for its time, and an exuberant crowd of 12,000 fans filled the stands on opening day. Major demolition of the concrete structure began on Sept. 27 and it will take a few months to remove the 20,000 tons of rubble. Really great site, Jim!Sadly, they are tearing the Trotting Park down soon. A 1965 Arizona Republic article also lists Eugenio Grasetto as the architect. After all, race tracks were Earl Flora waxed poetic in the pages of Hoof Beats, noting that his trade journalist colleagues for The Horseman & Fair World and Harness Horse wished that they could paint the scene instead of relying on their typewriters. I really wish somebody could have done something with it instead of just tearing it down, he said. 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