The acquisition was achieved through a land exchange agreement negotiated by Mayor Johnston involving a near acre-for-acre land exchange, in which Denver will trade 145-acres of city-owned industrial property in Adams County for the 155-acre Park Hill property currently owned by Westside Development. Building upon the input that was gathered for park use during meetings for the 2022 area plan, the planning and design of this new regional park will include a community visioning process.
Located in Northeast Denver, Park Hill opened as a golf course in the 1930s before closing in 2018. Because of a Conservation Easement in place since 1997, the site is currently only allowed to operate as a golf course. With an agreement between the City and Westside Development now in place, Mayor Johnston will now partner with City Council to execute a land exchange agreement and move forward with the space as an urban park that can become an oasis for the entire neighborhood and community.
The future of the park has three stages, immediate short-term use, interim use and the long-term build-out of the of park:
- Immediate short-term: Once the city closes on the property, DPR will work diligently to ensure Denver’s newest open space is safe and open in the summer of 2025 for passive use. We will address immediate safety issues, such as fixing broken walkways, pruning trees, and managing overgrowth so that residents can enjoy passive uses of the park such as jogging, walking, and enjoying nearby nature, bird habitat, and panoramic views. DPR will manage this as Open Space, which means only landscape within 4 feet of the walkway will be mowed, and we will mitigate for weeds. Fencing will remain up until resources are in place to properly manage the park, however, key entryways will be created to provide community access.
- Interim Use: While the long-term vision is developed, DPR will build low-cost amenities that could be enjoyed on an interim basis, such as a dog park, disc golf, picnic tables, and walking trail.
- Long-term: The Park Hill property will instantly become one of Denver’s largest urban parks, and DPR will begin the important process of launching a community visioning process for the long-term use of the park. The city’s other large parks, such as City Park, Washington Park and Ruby Hill provide robust park experience with a wide spectrum of activities and amenities. The visioning process will allow the community to define the future park and recreation experiences.