Ruby Hill Park: Phase 3 Design

Grassy Levitt Pavilion and Amphitheatre overlooking the Denver skyline

Ruby Hill is an 80-acre park located at the corner of West Florida Avenue and South Platte River Drive. Named for the red-hued gems (garnets) found by miners in the South Platte River in the late 1800s, this park is a key attraction of the Ruby Hill neighborhood. With a large picnic pavilion, playground, urban mountain biking course, numerous athletic fields, community garden, winter rail yard, and the Levitt Pavilion amphitheater, the park draws visitors from throughout the city.

After successfully implementing the Levitt Pavilion, mountain bike park, roadway network, and parking lot improvements called for in the 2008 Ruby Hill Park Master Plan, Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) is advancing the third phase of improvements.

In the summer of 2019, DPR initiated a public outreach process to create a concept design for the bike and snow sports facility building, along with the surrounding landscape. This process produced a document highlighting community outreach along with design principles and objectives, site analysis, concept design alternatives, preliminary concept design, and an opinion of probable cost.

The preferred preliminary concept plan proposes to locate a bike and snow sports facility building on the hill overlooking the rail yard bowl with proximity to existing pedestrian and vehicular access points. The concept plan develops relationships between the building and the surrounding site and includes bike skills courses for both beginner and intermediate riders, picnic opportunities, public art, and a splash pad. The concept also includes a new facility for bike rentals, storage, public bathrooms, and offices for DPR staff.

Supporting Documents

Community Outreach

Please join DPR on the ongoing community engagement process to continue to define and advance concept design and help us shape the next phase of Ruby Hill Park:

February 2022 Update

Over the past several weeks, the Consultant team – led by Design Workshop – has taken feedback received during the first community engagement meeting and the first online survey and incorporated several reoccurring themes into the revised site plan, including parking modifications and recreational opportunities.

The second community engagement meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 5:30PM MST where the revised site plan will be revealed to the community. Please join us to discuss how the updated design addresses community concerns heard during the first engagement session and make your opinions known on outstanding design decisions.

Next steps include taking a closer look at the planting design and plant species, bike playground materials and features, and splash pad design, while also making progress on the design of the community building and the site at large.

Download the Question & Answer document from the first round of community engagement(PDF, 138KB)

Workshop 1 | Sept. 21, 2021

Workshop 2 | March 1, 2022

View the meeting recording
Download the meeting presentation(PDF, 13MB)
Survey #2: [Closed April 15, 2022] | View survey results(PDF, 422KB)

Workshop 3 | January 17, 2023

At the project's third community meeting the preferred design for the park hub at Ruby Hill Park was presented. This design reflects community input received throughout the planning process. New amenities include a community building, bike playground, splash pad, and skate park.