Maricopa city officials hold ribbon-cutting ceremony for opening of new historic walkway

PHOENIX — Residents in the city of Maricopa are now able to stroll through history thanks to a new walkway in Heritage Park.

Several city officials commemorated the walkway’s opening at the park near Mercado Street and Honeycutt Road with speeches on Thursday.

A local businessman named Mike Ingram also spoke at the event. This was significant because the park — and the new historical walkway — are now named after him.

“I love this city,” Ingram said in a Thursday press release.

His donations helped fund the project to improve the park’s design.

Officials also celebrated the opening of the historical walkway at the recently renamed Mike Ingram Historical Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Ingram, the founder and chairman of El Dorado Holdings, is also one of the minority owners of the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to his company’s website.

How will historical walkway in Heritage Park benefit Maricopa?

Visitors who walk under the shaded pathway will be able to learn about the city’s humble beginnings.

That’s because there are various plaques with photos and texts will tell the story of how the remote town miles away from the nearest highway became a modern city.

The transition took a while due to the logistical challenge of securing water rights, bringing electricity to the city and building modern infrastructure.

Ingram said there were so many challenges that people thought to even try was unthinkable.

“When we first started, many people thought we were crazy to take on such a project,” Ingram said. “But we saw the potential. We knew that if we could overcome the initial challenges of roads and utilities, we could create something truly special.”

Ingram played a critical role in laying the groundwork for the Rancho El Dorado subdivision, according to the release. This was Maricopa’s first planned community.

He said he’s proud of what the residents have done to turn what was once a desert outpost into a thriving community.

“We had a vision for it,” Ingram said. “But you’re the ones who have made it what it is today.”

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