Abandoned Places, Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix Trotting Park
The Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park along I-10 in Goodyear has finally come to its end. The buildings are now in the process of being fully demolished. In the coming weeks the old ruins will be a large empty lot. It was a nice landmark while it existed and I personally think the owner could have done something different than tearing it down. I assume Goodyear will see more houses, apartments, strip malls and large amounts of traffic on interstate 10. (10.14.2017)

History
The horse racing track was originally built in 1964 in Goodyear, Arizona. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. The large, futuristically designed structure gave an optimistic look for the 1960s.

Originally planned to be built for a cost of about $3 million, the facility ended up costing around $10 million. Various incentives during the events that were held, such as free parking and admission did initially lead to decent attendance. However, a variety of factors led to the inevitable closing of the track. The cold weather of the desert caused events to be uncomfortable to attendees. The location provided limited means to control rain, leading to floods that caused accesibility problems. 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.

 The Iconic Phoenix Trotting Park was demolished on October 14, 2017 after more than 50 years! 

Date: 12.30.2010
Temp: 33°
Elevation: 1250 ft
DD (decimal degrees)*
Latitude: 33.45745
Longitude: -112.4373