Busy Times at Juarez Just Now: Construction of New Racing Plant Begun in Earnest Grandstand to be of Concrete, Daily Racing Form, 1909-08-26

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BUSY TIMES AT JUAREZ JUST NOW. Construction of New Racing Plant Begun in Earnest Grandstand to Be of Concrete. EI Paso. Tex.. August 25. Across the Kio Urande, the river that forms the international lioundary line between the Cnited States and Mexico, and a mile from the old Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez, Matt J. Winn lias started operations on the construction of the new racing plant of the Juarez Jockey Club, which is to hold a ninety-days meeting, commencing Thanksgiving Day. Colonel Winn has a force of architects and contractors at work on the site of the new race course and is himself personally superintending the preliminary construction work on the new 00,000 plant, which is to be the tirst of the string that is to be built through the Mexican Republic by American capital. The tract of ground, which has been secured for the Juarez plant, contains 300 acres of rich soil, which lias formerly been used for growing grains and fruits under irrigation. The tract is as level i as a lloor and required little, if any. leveling, aside from the actual work necessary to construct the track for the runners. A temporary otlice has been erected by II. L. Stevens, who lias the contract for the construction and grading work on the new racing plant; concrete mixers, well drilling machinery and other construction equipment have been unloaded on the ground, and a force of men are now preparing to lay off the site for the track, grandstand, paddock and casino. The track proper is to be a mile and an eighth, with two chutes, one at a mile, and the other a i half-mile straightaway, with wariniiig-up tracks and 1 approaches in connection. The soil for the track is to be the adobe, which is found everywhere in the i valley of the Kio Urande. Work will start on this part of the plant as soon as the surveys are completed and the exact location of the track and chutes determined. A well is now being dug to furnish water for the concrete anil soil mixers and work will start on the concrete grandstand at once. The grandstand is to have a seating capacity of 5.000 anil will be built entirely of re-inforced concrete, with a roof of art metal and artistic approaches of concrete. The general plan of the structure is to be similar to that of the Paris race course stand and it will have a large metal dome over the center section. There will he no posts in "the main section of the stand to obstruct the view, for the roof is to he supported by re-inforced concrete trusses and the entire structure will be absolutely fireproof. In addition to the grandstand, the betting pavilion will be 75x100 feet, and the oliices of the club officials will also be located on the ground near the grandstand. The casino is to be of mission design, with wide arched galleries and lounging rooms, cafes and smoking rooms for the crowds who attend the races. One of the unique features of the new Juarez plant is to he the section set apart for the native element that are too poor to pay any admission to see the races. Twice each week during the racing season the Mexican peons, with their families, will be admitted free and these occasions will bo advertised as widely as the special stake events that are to be run once each week. A street car line is to he built from the present line which connects El Paso and Juarez, and a scenic driveway will also be built to the entrance of the racing plant. It will then be possible to reach the race track from the El Paso hotels within fifteen minutes on the car line, or in shorter time by auto, the track being only a short distance from the main street of the town of Juarez, which is only a ten-minutes ride from the El Paso plaza. It is expected to have a large crowd of horsemen in El Paso for the winter, and a new fireproof hotel to be built by the time the Juarez races open is already being discussed.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909082601/drf1909082601_1_8
Local Identifier: drf1909082601_1_8
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800