Gilbert Rodeo Park (closed) (Gilbert, Arizona)

 park, rodeo grounds/arena, landfill site / rubbish/garbage dump

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Gilbert Rodeo Park is a closed park that used to host the annual Gilbert Days festival and rodeo as well as other rodeo events throughout the year. The site was previously used as a landfill and is owned by Maricopa County. The town leased the land from 1982-2011 and did not renew the lease when it expired. The new lease would have required Gilbert to remeidate the land at a cost of over $4 million dollars.


Gilbert Landfill

Location: 1777 S. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert.
Extent: About 42 acres.

History:
• 1950s: The site of a mining operation and likely used as a borrow pit for the construction of local roads and highways. After the soil was excavated and borrowed, the pit was used as a landfill.
• 1961: Maricopa County, Gilbert and Chandler began operating a sanitary landfill on the county-owned land. Its estimated usage was Maricopa County, 35 percent; Chandler, 55 percent; and Gilbert, 10 percent.
• 1981: The landfill operations cease.
• 1982: Gilbert signed an agreement to lease the landfill site for use as a recreational park for 25 years for $10 per year. The town sublet it to Gilbert Promotional Corporation for $1 annually, which turned it into the Gilbert Rodeo Park.
• 1983: GPC first used the park for equestrian events.
• Mid-1980s: The south portion of the site was converted to four baseball and three football fields.
• 1997: The first Gilbert Days rodeo/carnival.
• February 2011: GPC removed its equestrian infrastructure and wrapped up operations because of Gilbert not renewing the lease with the county, which expressed concern that the drainage on the property has to be resolved.

www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20120111gi...