We have new details on the new amphitheater at Mike Ingram Heritage Park first announced last week. The finished design is expected to hold upwards of 400 people once complete, city officials said, with construction costs budgeted at $1.469 million. 

While the stage area won’t feature designated seating, designers estimate the square footage can comfortably accommodate that many attendees without crowding nearby sidewalks. Specific event programming is still being planned, though a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be scheduled once the project is finished.

Mike Ingram Heritage Park, a Heritage District staple along Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, will undergo its transformation starting this month.

Already home to the Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center and the storied California Zephyr railcar, the park will add an expanded performance stage, a signature railroad-themed playground and new landscaping that ties the space into the broader Heritage District. 

The goal is to honor the city’s railroad roots and expand community gathering spaces, said city leaders. They say the upgrades are part of a larger vision for the district, which includes the imminent pedestrian bridge connecting the Heritage and South Bridge zones, and dining and nightlife at the freshly opened Duke’s Roadhouse. 

“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,” said Mayor Nancy Smith. 

Construction is slated to start later this month. City officials hope to have things wrapped up by mid-December. A public groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Sept. 23 at 8 a.m. outside the Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center, 44200 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.