DENVER (KDVR) — There are over 300 parks across Denver, and soon the Mile High City will have even more parkland with the conversion of an old golf course.
In the shadow just to the east of downtown Denver sits an old golf course, closed down for years, where there will soon be the new Park Hill Park. The now overgrown grass and trees that sit in the empty lot make it look like something out of a post-apocalyptic show or movie.
“I’m reminded of the project every time I drive on Colorado Boulevard, drive north on Colorado Boulevard, because you can see the fencing and the, you know, property has deteriorated. There’s lots of weeds and so forth there,” Denver resident Paul Orosz said.
But the city is looking to change that — a massive project is now underway to turn what is currently in disarray into Denver Parks and Recreation’s largest project in years.
“This will be the biggest park we’ve opened since Wash Park in 1911. It’s the largest private property parcel the city has ever purchased for a park. And it’ll be the fourth largest park in our inventory,” Executive Director for Denver Parks and Recreation Jolon Clark said.
Fourth largest, only behind Sloan’s Lake Park, City Park and Washington Park.
But it is not just the park that the city is looking to change. The city is asking the community for input via an online survey on what they would like to see happen in the neighborhood. The survey is available in both English and Spanish.
“Grocery stores. There’s never been a grocery store on this side of the neighborhood. There’s no high school on this side of the neighborhood. There’s big plans for dedication to nature, but not a Whole Foods,” Denver resident Adam Brewer said.
Although the plan is still in its early phases, those who attended the event today say they are for change and have their own ideas about what they want the future of the sometimes forgotten golf course to look like.
“I really am hoping for some kind of wow factor so that it becomes a destination. Maybe we have out-of-town company and we’ve like, oh, the first thing, oh, we gotta go see this park,” Denver resident Linda Orosz said.
“We want a bike superhighway, too. We want the bikes to be able to go from the train station right all the way down to Colfax. And that way, the guys are safe,” Brewer said. “This is big. This is for the kids. This is for those who are up next.”
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
