City breaks ground on new outdoor amphitheater

By David Iversen, Reporter
Sep 23, 2025

City leaders and residents gathered this morning for a groundbreaking ceremony on a major expansion to the Mike Ingram Heritage Park. It’s a project officials say will honor Maricopa’s past while expanding space for community gatherings.

The park, already home to the Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center and the storied California Zephyr railcar, will soon feature a new amphitheater capable of holding about 400 people, a railroad-themed playground, fresh landscaping and a memorial wall commemorating community contributors.

The upgrades are budgeted at $1.469 million, according to city officials.

City officials break ground on the $1.469M expansion of Mike Ingram Heritage Park. Sept. 23, 2025. [David Iversen]

Today’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by city officials and state lawmakers including Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande).

“Mike Ingram started this whole city,” said Maricopa City Councilmember Bob Marsh. He is eager to see the new park honoring Maricopa’s founders and pioneers.

Ingram, he added, “turned it into a vision that we’re now living and building on and adding to … and this is a great honor for him, I’m sure.”

Remnants of Maricopa’s original 1958 public pool unearthed during construction at Heritage Park, Sept. 23. 2025. [David Iversen]

Marsh said the new memorial will resemble the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We’re gonna add a memorial … to honor key contributors to the past, to the growth of Maricopa. I think Alma Farrell, who died recently, will probably be the first one memorialized on that wall,” he said.

He’s seen the design plans and is excited to see families playing in the new park.

Councilmembers from right: Amber Liermann, Vincent Manfredi, Bob Marsh, AnnaMarie Knorr, Henry Wade, Eric Goettl. Sept. 23, 2025. [David Iversen]

“Just wait and see,” said Marsh with a smile.

City Manager Ben Bitter said the improvements will serve both present and future generations.

“This project means a lot to Maricopa,” Bitter said. “It’s a chance for families to come and explore the history that came before us here, while enjoying a space that we’re building for the future.”

Faded blue paint still visible in the former kids’ pool at the site of Heritage Park construction, Sept. 23. 2025. [David Iversen]

At its initial announcement, Mayor Nancy Smith said the amphitheater and renovations would make the Heritage District a focal point for events and family life.

“This unique space will give our community more opportunities to gather, celebrate and connect — always with the railcar, the passing trains and Maricopa’s unforgettable skyline as the backdrop,” Smith said.

Construction has already started. Remnants of the city’s original 1958 public pool could be seen unearthed. Some of the blue paint was still visible in the kids’ pool.

Maricopa city leaders and residents don hardhats to mark the start of Heritage Park’s expansion. Sept. 23, 2025. [David Iversen]

“My kids learned to swim there,” said Councilmember Vincent Manfredi, pointing at the collapsing concrete.

If all goes to plan, the project will be complete by mid-December. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be announced once the project is finished, officials said.

Vincent Manfredi is an owner of InMaricopa.

Construction has already begun at Mike Ingram Heritage Park. Sept. 23, 2025. [David Iversen]

David Iversen, Reporter

A seasoned investigative journalist, David has worked across broadcast, print, podcasts and documentaries. His podcast, The Line, won a DuPont Award in 2021. A Columbia Journalism School graduate, David arrived in Maricopa in 2021.