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Litchfield Park starts plans for restoration of historic hilltop

Posted 1/31/25

The city of Litchfield Park is moving forward with a project to revitalize the historic 20-acre La Loma Homestead, the former retreat of city founder Paul W. Litchfield.

The property, gifted to …

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Community

Litchfield Park starts plans for restoration of historic hilltop

Posted

The city of Litchfield Park is moving forward with a project to revitalize the historic 20-acre La Loma Homestead, the former retreat of city founder Paul W. Litchfield.

The property, gifted to the city by Edith and Wally Denny in 2008, will become a cultural hub for arts, education, and history. The revitalization plan focuses on preserving the site’s historic structures while introducing modern features that will serve the community.

“For many years, I’ve been working on building up the development situation, so the city is sustainable. We have the property because the Litchfield family wanted to make sure the property was used in a way that was consistent with what Paul Litchfield envisioned back in the 1920s — a cultural and performing arts area,” said Litchfield Park Mayor Thomas Shoaf.

The revitalization will include the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, the creation of public trails, and spaces for community events and exhibits.

The project started in 2002 when a homestead planning committee was formed, the committee was able to meet with members of the Litchfield family to determine what to do with space, said Randy Proch, city planning director.

A central part of the project is the development of a Fine Arts Academy & Performing Arts Center in collaboration with the Agua Fria Union High School District.

Located at the base of La Loma Hill, the new school will offer students specialized arts education and house a 700-seat performing arts theater that will host professional performances. In addition to the Fine Arts Academy, the plan calls for a new Maricopa County branch library and the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center Museum.

“We do feel theses uses are the catalyst for the city to start moving the efforts forward simultaneously,” Proch said.

The museum will honor Paul W. Litchfield’s legacy with exhibits, a research library, and public programming areas. According to the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center, the revitalization of La Loma Homestead will continue the Denny family’s legacy, transforming the site into a resource for both Litchfield Park residents and visitors to the southwest Valley.

“These things are less than half of what’s being considered for the site” Proch said. “Everything else is a blank canvas.”

Community members joined Proch on Jan. 30 to learn about the history of space and to join in an interactive discussion of what they want from the La Loma Hilltop. They were able to provide feedback on the future use of the property using a ranking system of amenities, sharing impot om their desire for the space to be fast-paced or a slower environment and where the efforts by the city should be directed first.

To the community present, amenities such as walking trails, botanical gardens, and gazebos or outdoor events spaces were most desired. Proch said the community involvement is an important part of the process and that phase one of the beautification process will be completed, alongside the school and library in fall 2026.

Visit litchfieldpark.gov for more information.

La Loma Homestead, Paul W. Litchfield, Thomas Shoaf, Randy Proch

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