ferril lake at city park officially re-opened; “CITY PARK DAY” declared IN DENVER

Ferril Lake is better than ever and open to the public after close to a year of construction as part of the $28 million Montclair Storm Drainage Project

Project Narrative 1           Project Narrative 2

 (DENVER) Mayor John Hickenlooper, joined by Public Works Manager Guillermo “Bill” Vidal, Parks & Recreation Manager Kim Bailey, community members, elected officials and workers, officially re-opened Ferril Lake in City Park on Thursday, June 28, 2007, at 12:30 p.m. A Denver City Council Proclamation declaring the day “City Park Day” in Denver was also announced.  The Denver Municipal Band kicked off the event with live music starting at 12 noon; the DMB has been playing concerts in City Park since the park was established in 1882.

 Ferril Lake and areas in and around City Park have been under construction since October 2006, as part of the Montclair Storm Drainage Project, a Denver Public Works initiative that solved major storm water issues in the neighborhood and restored the area’s historic integrity. While the bulk of improvements serve the needs of storm water control, other park-related improvements, including the reconstruction and restoration of the historic Electric Fountain in Ferril Lake, were made to maximize benefits for public enjoyment and use of the park.  The estimated cost of the project is $28 million.

 In addition to being the centerpiece of City Park, Ferril Lake has always provided the water necessary to irrigate the entire park. Through the Montclair Storm Drainage Project, the lake now takes on the additional role of being a major storm water detention facility with a detention volume of 140-acre-feet for the regional Montclair Drainage Basin.

 The basin, which measures approximately ten square miles, extends from the Pepsi Bottling Plant at 38^th Avenue to the north to Fairmount Cemetery on the south. The improvements turn the lake into a multi-use facility combining irrigation, recreation and storm water detention that not only relieves the significant flooding which has occurring in the basin, but also saves the City of Denver approximately $20 million dollars by eliminating the need to increase the size of the existing storm sewers in the drainage basin.

 The Denver community has been very supportive of the Montclair Storm Drainage Project. District 8 Councilwoman-Elect Carla Madison (City Park resides in District 8)  was active in the project planning process and supportive of this project from the beginning, providing valuable input on behalf of the City Park West Neighborhood Association.  A shared love of City Park crosses all City boundaries: a Denver City Council Proclamation sponsored by District 4 Councilwoman Peggy Lehman declared June 28, 2007, as “City Park Day” in Denver.

 In addition to tireless project management by the teams at Denver Public Works Capital Projects Management and Denver Parks & Recreation, Traffic Engineering Services under Public Works directed a comprehensive traffic management plan around the construction area and private contractors engaged in the project did an incredible job. Three of the private contractors – Parsons, Concrete Works of Colorado and Peak ‘n Prairie – received Certificates of Recognition from the City and County of Denver, signed by Mayor Hickenlooper and Bill Vidal. 

 A limited area east of City Park will remain under construction through the summer to complete a primary storm water conduit in early fall. The Montclair Storm Drainage Project showcases the synergy between Denver’s Public Works and Denver’s Parks & Recreation departments in conjunction with private designers, contractors and the community.

 Montclair Storm Drainage Project Fun Facts:

·        4900 linear feet of new storm drain­age pipe, ranging in size from 18” to 72” in diameter, were installed along 17th Avenue from the City Park Esplanade to Garfield Street.

·        35 new storm inlets were installed in the area.

·        Approx­imately 100,000 cubic yards of lake mud and pond sediment (a volume akin to a 60-foot-deep football field) were removed in order to lower the lake level so that it can accommodate additional water in the event of a heavy storm.

·        The sediment removal took approximately 10 weeks, from the beginning of December 2006 to the beginning of February 2007

·        Up to 40 dump trucks were used to haul the sediment, with one truck leaving the lake every one and a half minutes with sediment during this time.

·        The detention volume of Ferril Lake upon completion of the project is 140 acre-feet.

 City Park by the Numbers:

·        370: Total acreage of the park

·        3: Manufactured (not natural) bodies of water located in City Park

Ferril Lake (1896)

Duck Lake (1891)

Little Lake (1896)

·        2: Equipped playgrounds

·        14: Tennis courts

·        5: Baseball fields

·        6: Soccer fields

·        1: Lacrosse field 

·        4: Group picnic areas with tables

1882: City Park establishment

1896: Ferril Lake original construction completed

1896: City Park Pavilion

1897: Civil War –Union Artillery donated and first flower garden established by the Grand Army of the Republic

1904: Robert Burns Statue erected

1908: Electric Fountain debut

1912: Fire Station opened

1912: Sopris Gateway: (17^th at Fillmore)

1913: Golf course opening

1916: Monti Gateway (Colo. Blvd. at Montview) unveiled

1925: Sopris Garden established

2002: Martin L. King, Jr. Monument erected

2007: Montclair Storm Drainage Project completed and Electric Fountain restored