Years of Uncertainty Come to an End as Council Grants Long-Term Lease to Redding Rodeo Association

“Can I get a… Yehoooo!” Redding Mayor Jack Munns called out, wearing a cowboy as he tried to lead the Council with a festive tone during last night’s vote on a long-term lease of riverfront land to the Redding Rodeo. His mispronunciation of the phrase “Yeehaw!” prompted widespread laughter across the chamber. 

Soon after, Council members voted unanimously to agree to new terms which will maintain the Rodeo’s $50 a year lease rate for a small parcel of prime downtown Redding riverfront land, located close to the Civic Auditorium. 

Munns was one of many who donned a western look for last night’s meeting. City Manager Barry Tippin also wore a cowboy hat as he outlined the terms of the long-awaited lease agreement for the Council. The agreement extends the Rodeo’s prior three-year lease which would have ended in 2029, granting the organization use of the land for a minimum of 25 more years with two possible ten-year extensions.

The Initial Controversy

It was more than three years ago that discussions first began about possible new development at Redding’s riverfront. Since then, the community has remained uncertain about whether the Redding Rodeo would continue to have long-term access to riverfront land the organization has operated on for decades. 

In 2021, supporters of the beloved local institution showed up in force at Council meetings to push back on the idea of riverfront development without the involvement of key stakeholders. The Rodeo Association was one of several groups that successfully lobbied the city to conduct a community-led process before considering any new riverfront development. 

In mid-2022, the Council acted on community feedback by voting to pause discussions about Redding riverfront development until a core planning document known as the Riverfront Specific Plan could be updated. That update is still in process.

The Fine Print

The Rodeo’s new long-term lease includes terms that allow the city to amend the agreement if needed to comply with the updated terms of that planning document, City Manager Tippin told the Council this week. To do so though, the City would have to pay the Rodeo back for the cost of any improvements in the property that were made since the lease was signed. 

“We’ve developed a clause within the lease agreement,” Tippin told the Council. “That if at some point in the future, it’s decided we need to do something different than what we have down there… then the Rodeo Association will be made completely whole for any investments they’ve done.”

Having a long-term agreement makes it possible for the Redding Rodeo to make the financial leap to invest in long-needed upgrades at the Rodeo grounds, including a new announcer’s booth, grandstands and private booths — all of which are specifically required to be completed as part of the terms. The agreement also includes performance metrics for how and when those improvements must be implemented and requires the Rodeo Association to provide transparent financial documentation and reporting related to the required improvement projects. 

While no environmental review was required to sign the lease, construction projects at the site may be subject to an environmental review process, given the proximity of the area to the Sacramento River. 

The Rodeo Association has also agreed to expand community-accessible events at the Redding Rodeo grounds and work with nearby partners like Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Civic Auditorium on solutions to complex parking issues at the riverfront space. 

In the Heart of the City

Just before the Council voted to approve the lease, Redding Rodeo Association President Ted Bambino gave a stirring speech thanking the community for their support.

“We have got a fabulous community,” Bambino said, “and they have supported us every step of the way… three and a half years ago we didn’t call for them — they came to defend us. They came because they want this rodeo grounds there.”

Former short-term Council member Joshua Johnson, who first suggested the idea of an ad hoc committee focused on developing a long-term lease with the Rodeo, also spoke. 

“We are going to have an incredible rodeo down there for 45 years,” Johnson said, “maybe longer, and eventually, incredible facilities for this community for years to come. Hopefully my grandchildren will enjoy it long after I’m gone.”

But it was Council member Dr. Paul Dhanuka who had the last word. 

“The city is giving you not just a place in the center of the city”, Dhanuka told Rodeo Association President Bambino, “but… a place in the heart of our city. And I’m sure, I’m confident, that you will make us proud of that.” 

What’s Next for the Riverfront? 

The Council agreed to the lease just a day after Redding unveiled its next phase in how the larger scope of downtown riverfront land could be developed in the decades to come. 

The city’s May 5 open house on Redding riverfront planning was the latest step in the ongoing process to update the Redding Riverfront Specific Plan. Held in the community room at City Hall, the event showcased a new visionary framework for how Redding’s downtown riverfront could look in future… and solicited community feedback.

So far the community’s input has led city staff to envision Redding’s northern riverfront, which is mostly public land, as primarily dedicated to recreation, environmental preservation, and uses that honor the local Native community. The southern riverfront, which is mostly privately owned, would be open for continued development that preserves and maintains the integrity of riverfront views and access.

But those ideas are still just preliminary. The visionary guidelines developed so far will be presented to the Redding Council on May 20. If the Council signs off on staff’s proposed direction for the Riverfront Specific Plan, they’ll begin drafting the legal document. Actually finalizing an update to the Riverfront Specific Plan is expected to take at least another year, Redding’s Director of Development Services Travis Menne says.

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