Nearly 10 years after Prescott officials pledged to consider the issue, the Prescott City Council plans to vote Oct. 13 on whether to approve the nearly $50M Rodeo/Fairgrounds Master Plan.
According to the summary submitted to Council, “The proposed Rodeo/Fairgrounds Master Plan seeks to optimize the available space while mitigating impacts to the neighboring properties. It does this by preserving the historic arena and grandstands, adding amenities like park space and a demonstration garden, moving the equipment barn, and building a new pole barn, multiuse building, and new Cooperative Extension office. The proposed plan mitigates impacts by moving traffic off Gail Gardner Way, improving traffic flow, limited expansion of parking, Dark Sky-compliant lighting, seating is limited to a target of 5,000, and continued environmental mitigation.”
Under the estimated $48.2M vision, stakeholders will raise the funding for their individual components, and development will happen in multiple phases. “As projects are ready to move forward, they will be subject to the same permitting and approval processes as other projects in the city including requirements to conduct environmental, archaeological, and other site preparation work. The City’s share of the plan is approximately $5.4M, which, like the other projects, could be phased over several years and tied to the receipt of grants and other funding,” the summary says.
Staff has recommended approving the plan as submitted.
A 2001 analysis had recommended moving the fairgrounds to a new location, either in Pioneer Park or on Highway 89. The cost to relocate would have been equivalent to $90M in today’s dollars, and property operator Prescott Frontier Days expressed a strong desire to remain at the current location. When the City and Frontier Days executed a new lease in 2016, the terms dictated the City would begin contemplation of a new master plan within five years. These factors led to the eventual development of the current plan.
“Whatever may have been contemplated,” the summary says, “the City did not complete a master plan in that initial period. Regrettably, the City’s deferral put an unfair burden on Prescott Frontier Days, the neighbors of the rodeo grounds, and the community at large, resulting in controversy about the future of the property. A master planning effort during this time (2022-2024) was also abandoned.”
Development of the current master plan began in January 2025. A series of meetings between City representatives, community members, Prescott Frontier Days, facility tenants, and project planning and consulting firm GH2 Architects provided input and guidance for the plan, as did a 45-day public comment period and public hearings.
Over the course of the process, some members of the public raised concerns about the plan, including traffic, noise and other quality of life impacts associated with the current location. Mitigating those concerns has been a primary focus for all parties in developing the proposed plan.
Key components of the master plan include protecting the fairground by building around the ongoing use of the current rodeo arena and grandstands, which will also protect the branding of the “World’s Oldest Rodeo” that is central to the facility’s tourism draw.
New box seating, a new equipment barn and a new restroom building are planned to enhance the rodeo/fairgrounds’ offerings. A new pole barn will support portable arenas, temporary stalls and livestock exhibits, and improved RV and trailer parking space and services will help streamline operations.
The master plan will also provide a new office facility and demonstration garden for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and provide dedicated space for a public park and a new paved parking area that could, potentially, host a farmers’ market.
A new multipurpose building could be built between the new parking area and the rodeo arena, which could also be used for farmers’ markets and other events.
Improved traffic flow and signage considerations included in the plan are intended to help reduce traffic and congestion impacts on the surrounding residents, as are the Dark Sky lighting requirements and increased parking.
Prescott’s portion of the master plan execution is estimated at approximately $5.4M. The City’s components could include landscaping, the park space, gravel parking area improvements, relocating City offices and adding a shuttle stop, among others.
Council could vote to accept the plan as submitted, approve it with amendments, make approval contingent upon a new lease or reject it entirely.
