A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for September 19 at 9 a.m. at Heritage Park, which will be named after Maricopa’s original developer, Mike Ingram.

“Maricopa was a great farming community before I got there,” said Ingram, who donated $100,000 to the city, much of which went toward improvements to Heritage Park, including the new historic walkway.

The walkway is currently being constructed in the park on Plainview Street at the corner of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and will feature commemorative plaques on pillars telling the history of Maricopa.

“With the help of many civic leaders like John and Mary Lou Smith and the Ak-Chin leadership, we were able to put Maricopa on a new path of growth and excellence,” said Ingram, founder of Scottsdale-based El Dorado Holdings, which developed the city’s first community, Rancho El Dorado. “We will always remember the great efforts of Jane Askew and her family, Alma Farrell, Delia Carlyle and Leona Kakar, for all they did to make Maricopa Road possible.”

Parking for the event is available in the Maricopa Unified School District parking lot adjacent to the park grounds.