Racetracks as Urban Landmarks: Balancing Development and History

Let’s start the article with a question: What makes horse racing so exciting? Is it the race itself and the adrenaline rush, or is there more to it?

Well, most horse racing fans would agree that horse racing isn’t only about the race itself. It is more about the story, the thrill, the history and tradition, the fashion, the drinks, and much more. Basically, horse racing managed to embed itself into our society for many centuries.

Since history is a big part of the sport, the racetracks are quite important for passing the torch and keeping the flames going in the future. Most of these landmarks might be outdated, and they might not look in perfect shape, but that’s not the important part. The important part is that they’ve become monuments that carry tradition, stories, and history. 

That’s why it is always sad when we see a racetrack being demolished for a new urban project. All of those stories will be buried in the ground and forgotten to history.

Fortunately, managed to turn these racetracks into urban landmarks and popular tourist attractions. Yes, they might be a black sheep in the urban jungle of skyscrapers (which is where the money lies), but horse racing tracks can carry the soul of the city, and that’s also very important.

Let’s see some of the most popular racetracks that have become urban landmarks.

Hialeah Park

We first start in sunny Florida, at Hialeah Park, which opened its gates back in 1988. This is without a doubt a National Historic Landmark designed by the U.S National Park Service.

It might not be as old as Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, but it is still an important area in Florida that carries plenty of history, stories, and passion that needs to be passed to the next generation.

Florida has a rich horse racing culture, and although we have other racetracks like Gulfstream Park, which hosts the Florida Derby featured in the Kentucky Derby Prep races, Hialeah Park still holds a lot of history.

If you want to learn more about Kentucky Derby prep races, click here.

But since horse racetracks cover a lot of land, they are usually debate over whether they are worth it, or the land should be redesigned for something more useful.

In 2024, a proposal surfaced to rezone 50 acres for mixed-use development—400 residential units and retail—while keeping the track active (which is very important). 

Preservationists fought back, citing its 1979 National Register listing, and the plan stalled. Hialeah’s a rare case where history’s holding its own, but the pressure is on.

Hollywood Park

Contrast that with Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Opened in 1938 with shareholders like Walt Disney and Bing Crosby, it was a cultural hub—Seabiscuit raced there, and it drew 40,000 fans on big days. 

But by 2013, it couldn’t compete with urban sprawl. The 238-acre site closed, and developers Wilson Meany broke ground in 2014. 

Today, it’s SoFi Stadium, 3,000 housing units, and 620,000 square feet of retail—no trace of the track remains. The city’s 2023 annual report notes the project added $1.2 billion to the local economy, but preservationists lament the loss of a site tied to racing’s golden age. Here, development won outright.

Suffolk Downs

Boston’s Suffolk Downs, opened in 1935, offers a middle ground. Once home to Seabiscuit’s 1937 Massachusetts Handicap win, it shuttered in 2017 after years of declining attendance—down to 2,000 daily spectators by its end. 

HYM Investment Group bought the 161-acre site and, by 2024, had approvals for a 16.5-million-square-foot mixed-use project: 10,000 housing units, offices, and retail. 

But history isn’t erased—4 acres are set aside for a public park with plaques marking the track’s legacy, and the old grandstand’s footprint guides new street layouts. It’s a compromise: housing for 20,000 new residents (city estimates) meets a nod to the past.

Pimlico Race Course

Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes since 1873, is mid-transformation. By 2025, its crumbling 1960s grandstand—once hosting 50,000 for the Preakness—will be gone. 

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority, formed in 2023, is overseeing a $400 million rebuild. Plans finalized in 2024 shrink the site from 140 to 100 acres, with a modern 15,000-seat facility and off-site training center, while 40 acres are sold for housing and retail. 

The Preakness stays, securing history, but the shift—slated for completion by 2027—shows development chipping away at the edges. Attendance data from 2023 shows 48,000 still flock to the race, proving its pull endures.

Northville Downs

Michigan’s last thoroughbred track, Northville Downs, closed in February 2024 after 80 years. Once drawing 10,000 fans nightly in the 1970s, it dwindled to 1,500 by 2023. 

Hunter Pasteur Homes bought the 48-acre site in 2023, and by late 2024, demolition began for 600 housing units and commercial space—no racing relics preserved. The city approved the $150 million project in December 2024, citing a need for 2,000 new homes by 2030. History lost this round, with economic demands trumping nostalgia.

It’s sad to see horse racing tracks vanish, but it is in our hands to save the sport. If the track hosts big events like the Kentucky Derby that attracts 150,000 fans in few days, it will be a big contributor to the economy, and I highly doubt that anyone would ever try to touch it.