Prescott Rodeo Grounds allocation catches officials by surprise; Omar Abdallah, Rose Law Group land use attorney who works in Prescott, comments

_{Credit: Prescott Frontier Days, Inc.}

By AZBEX

Friction has arisen between the City of Prescott and Prescott Frontier Days, Inc. over a $40M master-planned renovation project for the Prescott Rodeo Grounds.

The rodeo grounds is the site of the City’s “World’s Oldest Rodeo” event, a major tourism event held every July.

The State of Arizona announced in its upcoming budget that it had allocated $15.3M for improvements to the facility. While Frontier Days had presented the $40M master plan to City officials in an information and study session in March, officials, including Mayor Phil Goode, said they were unaware the property manager had requested state funds. Goode said he learned of the $15.3M allocation from a radio news broadcast.

The City of Prescott owns the Prescott Rodeo Grounds. Prescott Frontier Days serves as management for the location, operates the rodeo and leases the property for $1/year.

Frontier Days officials say the state allocation is one of several requests the group has made to various sources for help in funding the project.

Arizona Representative Quang Nguyen, one of Prescott’s representatives in the State Legislature, worked on the allocation and said it was an economic development investment that will pay for itself in short order.

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“Prescott’s rodeo is a real point of pride for our state and this reinvestment should enhance economic Devleopment.“ – Omar Abdallah, Rose Law Group land use attorney who works in Prescott