By Richard Dyer | YourValley
The city of Apache Junction has paid $1.4 million and could have the title and ownership of the rodeo grounds, 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd., by June, the city council was told recently.
The rodeo grounds, owned by the Bureau of Land Management, are home to annual events such as the Lost Dutchman Days rodeo and carnival, and the Arizona Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association show.
The city began leasing the rodeo grounds in 1986. In October 2020 the Apache Junction City Council entered into an agreement to purchase the 20-acre rodeo grounds.
“So we started a process that was about 2.5 years long to go through an entire process with the Bureau of Land Management where they would ultimately appraise the land for the land value alone; we added many amenities there many years ago,” Liz Langenbach, the city’s parks and recreation director, said at the council’s May 16 meeting.
“In January of 2022 we received the appraisal amount of $1.4 million from the third party that does all of the appraisal process. Council approved at that time continuing with the process and incorporating that into our city budget for this year, which is in there now,” she said.
