Glenwood Springs, CO rodeo arena being demolished for good!

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I wish there was video of the demolition - or better yet- I was driving the bulldozer!! Buck off, rodeo!

 

 

By John GardnerjgardnerGlenwood Springs, CO Colorado

 

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ENLARGE

Kenny Hulslander, left, of Innovative Iron Works, has contracted with the city of Glenwood Springs to tear down the old rodeo grounds south of the city. Hulslander is shown taking down the announcer’s stand as Matt Van Hoose carries a ladder Monday afternoon.

Kelley Cox/Post Independent

 

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — With the cancellation of the Strawberry Days Rodeo last summer, citing “failing conditions at the Glenwood Rodeo Arena,” the rodeo arena has seen its final days.Demolition of the bleachers and fencing began last week and should be complete by Dec. 1, according to Glenwood Springs Parks and Recreation Director Tom Barnes. The work is being done by Innovative Ironworks out of Silt.“That site should be cleared of all the fencing and all the wood and bleachers,” Barnes said. “We did ask for a couple of buildings and the lighting to be left there.”The rodeo grounds are located south of Glenwood Springs adjacent to the Glenwood Airport.Glenwood Springs City Council approved demolition of the rodeo grounds at its Sept. 18 regular board meeting. According to

minutes from that meeting, City Manager Jeff Hecksel commented that the Parks and Recreation Board, based on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the condition of the rodeo grounds, recommends demolition. Hecksel would have also needed direction from City Council to overturn that recommendation or follow it.Councilman Dave Johnson stated at the meeting that there is a “limited amount of park space and they should be used for the maximum number of citizens,” and, “One or two events at the rodeo grounds don’t justify the use.”Councilman Dave Merritt stated that he opposed the demolition and that the rodeo grounds were a historical piece of Glenwood Springs.“Carbondale didn’t have a rodeo a couple of years ago and has greatly benefited from Glenwood’s lack of a rodeo,” Merritt stated according to the minutes. “This has been ignored for a long time, which has led to deterioration.”The Carbondale

rodeo series, held east of town, has grown in popularity over the last few years.The minutes also read that Barnes put out requests in fall 2007 for proposals from vendors who have used the rodeo grounds the past couple of years, with no response. The removal of the deteriorating bleachers and fencing was cited as a “safety issue.” There are still no immediate plans for the land. “The site will remain as open space for the city,” Barnes said. “We do not have a plan for the site right now.”However, a couple of future projects could potentially benefit from the rodeo grounds not being there, including the Highway 82 corridor optimization and the South Bridge projects.“We really want to look at the recommendations that are coming out of those plans to try and work collaboratively with any planning that we have with the rodeo ground site,” Barnes said.Contact John Gardner: 384-9114jgardner