Now Mailing to Carefree!

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Major Upgrade For Railroad Park
Community fundraising needed for project

By Russ Mosser

The Scottsdale City Council recently awarded a contract for a new, interactive model railroad exhibit and building at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, located at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Indian Bend Road. Ground breaking ceremonies for the building will be held February 3, at 11:30am. The new exhibit, located in the 30-acre railroad themed park, is expected to open in October.
 

The 10,000-square-foot building will provide a welcome enhancement to visitors’ experiences at the railroad park. Large indoor model railroad displays will be viewed “in the round” from all four sides, designed for public interaction. Push-buttons will allow children to activate various parts of the model railroad displays. No taxpayer funds are being used to pay for the new $3 million facility. This project is being funded 100 percent through monies received from the sale of land donated by the McCormick family, plus fundraising efforts by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society, which will be seeking to raise one million dollars from the community during 2010.

The Society’s mission is to improve the park and each visitor’s experience by completing new capital projects and donating them to the city. The railroad park continues to be a very popular place for residents and visitors alike. It is listed in Zagat as one of the top-50 places for children to visit in the USA and attracts about 650,000 visitors per year.

For more information, visit therailroadpark.com.

Russ Mosser was elected to the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society’s board last December and is a candidate for Paradise Valley Town Council.

Planning Commission Approves
WalMart Site Plan

The Cave Creek Planning Commission recently showed the same enthusiasm for a new Walmart as voters did last fall. The planning commission unanimously approved a site plan for an approximate 124,000-square-foot store, located south and east of the southeast corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway by a near three-to-one margin.

The Wal-Mart property is just south of the Bullington property. Both Robert Bullington, Sr. and Jr. said they were in “full support” of having Walmart as a neighbor, but lamented the difficulties in getting a cross-access agreement between the two properties signed. They asked Walmart representative Sean Lake to work on getting Walmart officials to commit to the agreement. Commission Chairman Dan Baxley talked about how Walmart representatives reached out to neighbors near the 20-acre site where the retail center is planned. The Cave Creek Town Council is expected to review the site plan this month. Walmart is expected to build in the next few years.

 

A Sensory Journey Through Native American Culture

Four-time World Championship Hoop Dance winner Derrick Suwaima Davis is the artistic director of Scottsdale’s eighth annual Native Trails festival. Each year, from January through mid-April, experience the vivid First Nations of Arizona and North America through performances and artisan showcases – Thursdays and Saturdays through April 10 from 12-1:30pm at the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. For more information, visit scottsdalenativetrails.com.

 

Thank You
CST Business Partners!

Doing Business In
Your Community

Celebrate
Fat Tuesday

Celebrate Fat Tuesday on Tuesday, February 16 at the Desert Foothills Library Mardi Gras masquerade party in Cave Creek, where more than 80 intricately designed, one-of-a-kind hand crafted masks will be the highlight of an authentic evening of New Orleans style fun. See Story in CITYSunTimes on page 15.

 

“Water Ranch” Scheduled
For Fall Completion

The Town of Cave Creek is on schedule to substantially complete its new Water Ranch on Carefree Highway by early fall. Garney Construction is expected to have the $22.9 million facility significantly completed by September 10, according to Cave Creek Utilities Manager Jessica Marlow. Marlow sees being able to decommission the old sewer plant at Rancho Manana as the primary benefit to having the new plant. Being able to serve businesses along and south of Carefree Highway is another substantial benefit. Having the facility substantially completed by fall will allow the Town to complete a sewer connection for the new Walmart store.

Town officials were delighted to receive a $2 million federal stimulus grant last fall, which brought the cost of the new facility down to $22.9 million. Cave Creek Town Councilman Dick Esser says the town qualified for the grant because the project was “shovel ready.” He adds that the Town’s hiring of a subcontractor to oversee plant construction was a good move, allowing the Town to have qualified professionals to design, build and operate the plant in the early stages. The Town received a $22.9 million W.I.F.A. (Water Infrastructure Authority) loan to build the plant. The final completion date for the new plant is November 29. The Town will eventually operate the plant. Designed in 2007, the Water Ranch has been under construction since May 2009.