$500 million motorsports park could come to Pinal County

More than 2,000 sleepy acres of Casa Grande-area farmland could be transformed into a $500 million motorsports complex with full-size race and test tracks for cars and motorcycles, luxury homes and a private airport in the next five years.

Construction on “Attesa” — billed as a massive regional economic engine by both city and Pinal County officials — could begin as soon as next year if plans are finalized by the end of 2016 as expected.

Pat Johnson, president of Chandler-based developer Danrick Builders and former owner of Phoenix International Raceway, said the project will address increased national demand for industry-specific research-and-development space while drawing tourists, jobs and affluent professionals to the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

Danrick is financing the complex.

“When we started kicking this thing around, we knew there was a desire to have a first-class facility for testing, and nobody had the research or housing parts attached the way that we’re doing it,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to create a group of people who aren’t just racing fans, but are about the technology of motorsports.”

The centerpiece of Attesa involves two 2.8-mile, professional-grade racing tracks — one for public use and testing, the other for members of a private club — as well as a 0.7-mile karting circuit. Between the tracks, a 300,000-square-foot plaza would host racing festivals, car and motorcycle shows, product launches, corporate events and farmers markets.

A 24-acre multipurpose center would accommodate motocross, supercross, and off-road racing, as well as concerts, festivals and fairs. An RV park and resort hotel would provide lodging for fans and industry professionals.

Pinal County already has two smaller-scale research tracks nearby, for Nissan and Volkswagen. Industrial facilities at Attesa could include manufacturing, research and warehouse space for businesses specializing in motorsports, transportation and other technologies, according to project plans.

“Arizona is the perfect place to test batteries and other elements in the summer, given the heat stress,” Johnson said. “The people you’ll see using the track during the week are primarily going to be engineers and (research and development) folks.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Residential communities, which likely would arrive after the park’s public amenities are in place, are expected to feature high-end single-family homes with hangars for personal planes. A 6,000-square-foot private air strip will be open to “premier” homeowners and industrial tenants, according to a project overview.

“When you first look at this project, you don’t appreciate the scale ... ,” said Tim Kanavel, Pinal County economic-development manager. “Once you start understanding that this place is going to have its own landing strip, high-end homes and commercial along with industrial development surrounding a motorsports facility, it dawns on you.”

County Supervisor Steve Miller said Attesa is “almost a city unto itself.”

Johnson acknowledged the sprawling development will require extensive infrastructure additions to support it, from roads and sound-mitigating walls to a new wastewater-treatment plant. The complex also will have its own fire station and sheriff substation.

“Luckily, with our proximity to the (Interstate) 8 and (Interstate) 11, we already have two freeway exits in place, which will allow us to move a lot of people in and out without disturbing traffic flows,” Johnson said. “But yes, the $500 million investment will likely be front-loaded the first couple of years, because I have so much infrastructure to put in to create the backbone of the place.”

Economic and real-estate consulting firm Elliott D. Pollack & Co. is working to analyze the project’s potential economic impact, including the number and quality of jobs it could feasibly create. Officials expect to release that report in three to four weeks.

In the meantime, economic-development officials have said the complex could generate “everything from jobs that require a Ph.D. to someone with a high-school diploma,” from marketing, management and racing professionals to concessionaires and groundskeepers.

Attesa also plans to forge partnerships with local colleges and universities that conduct relevant research, both to collaborate on research and development initiatives and to pull from their talent pools when hiring.

Plans for the motorsports park will require county approval to move forward. A decision is expected by the end of the year.