A group of Camp Verde residents, calling themselves the Camp Verde Arena Association, spoke before the Camp Verde Town Council at a meeting on Sept. 5. They came with a plan to build a new 2,300- capacity rodeo arena on the lot northeast of the underconstruction Camp Verde Sports Complex.
The CVAA timed its presentation well — it spoke just after the council approved the use of fence posts, paneling, and other necessary items for a Bull Bash held at Cliff Castle Casino’s Stargazer Pavilion as part of Fort Verde Days on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13. The CVAA, speaking after Cliff Castle General Manager Danny Gutierrez, sought to generate enthusiasm for rodeos not only as a one-off event, but all year round.
“Having a full arena can provide a facility for a professional rodeo organization,” Daria Weir, secretary for the CVAA, said at the meeting. Weir spoke of her and her husband’s lifelong participation and enthusiasm for rodeos. Weir compared this potential project to the Prescott Rodeo, which she said brings in $13 million in revenue every year. “Projected events at this facility could bring in thousands of visitors every single year to Camp Verde,” Weir said. “And that’s what we need. We need people to come to our town.”
The arena project is still in the early stages. At the meeting on Sept. 5, the Town Council, though interested in the project, took no official steps beyond instructing Town Manager Russ Martin to meet with the CVAA and discuss possibilities. But the presenters had ambitious ideas about how the arena could be a benefit for the town in bringing in tourism, helping not only pay for the arena but also boosting other local businesses.
“That arena in many many ways is going to be supporting the Town of Camp Verde,” Stacey Barker, another representative of the group, said to the council. “The Town of Camp Verde is going to see income. The Town of Camp Verde is going to see positive reinforcement from their merchants, as well, once this goes through.”
Arena advocates said they hope they can soon get a committment from the town that they will be able to use the 42.65-acre parcel of land northeast of the Sports Complex, at which point they would be able to start raising funds for the construction of the arena. They estimate the total cost of the project at around $890,000.
Members of the council expressed enthusiasm about the potential project, but nevertheless came with skepticism, especially regarding cost.
“I’ve been hearing in the papers that we are financially strapped,” said Councilwoman Robin Whatley, lamenting that she had to be the “buzzkill.” Whatley said she would be happy for the town to provide the empty land, but was hesitant to commit further resources to the project unless the CVAA could prove it was able to raise most of the funding itself.
“Now that you’re formed, I think you really need to look through some financial possibilities,” she said. “I’d like to see what you are able to do with grants, funding, things like that, and then come back.”
“I’m excited about some of the details,” Mayor Charlie German said. But he nevertheless cautioned that a large amount of planning lies between now and this project’s culmination.
“We want to do it right,” he said, warning that it would help neither the town nor the advocates to have to redo parts of the construction.
Despite the words of caution, the council expressed enthusiasm for the idea behind the project, optimism that some of the challenges could be overcome, and hope for the potential that could come with the arena.
“They’re amazing, what they’ve done in such short period of time,” Councilwoman Jackie Baker said of the arena advocates. “Once we’re moving forward, I’m sure we’ll have other contractors coming.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
