Former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said it couldn’t be done. The developer Westside Investment Partners said it couldn’t be done.
But it’s happening.
The deserted Park Hill Golf Course is on its way to becoming a major regional park in northeast Denver after a years-long battle over the land.
The city of Denver is acquiring the course’s 155 acres in a land-swap agreement with the owner, Westside Investment Partners, city officials announced Wednesday morning.
“This is an incredible opportunity to remake a space that has been neglected and unused for far too long,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement. “Together, we can make this the go-to destination for runners, readers, cyclists, picnickers, birdwatchers, and of course, children and families. This site will be all of Denver’s to cherish for generations to come.”
The future of the course has been in question for years. Westside’s effort to develop the site was blocked by voters in the April 2023 election, and the site has sat unused behind fencing and No Trespassing signs.
In the new deal, the former private golf course will become city-owned public land. Meanwhile, Westside will get about 145 acres of undeveloped industrial property in Adams County near the Denver International Airport. The plan depends on approval from Denver City Council and the Adams County Board of Commissioners.
If the deal goes through, it would be the largest single city acquisition of private land for a public park in Denver history, according to the mayor’s office.
What will happen to Park Hill Golf Course?
The golf course site will open to the public as an open space by summer 2025. Before then, walkways will be repaired and brush and trees will be trimmed. The fencing around the site will stay up, but the city will build entranceways for public access.
In the short term, Parks and Recreation will install low-cost features like dog runs, picnic tables, trails and possibly a disc golf course.
Meanwhile, the parks department will conduct a long-term planning process. The mayor’s office floated ideas including sports courts, exercise stations, shaded pavilions and performance stages.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a new regional park in the heart of the city,” said Jolon Clark, the city's parks director, in a statement. “We look forward to engaging with the community to shape what park amenities will be built on this remarkable parcel of land."
How did we get here?
After Westside first acquired the land, the Hancock administration and the developer pledged to bring thousands of units of housing to the land, plus space for a large park, a potential grocery store, room for local businesses and other amenities.
But neighbors around the former golf course revolted, pointing to a conservation easement that legally protected the land as an 18-hole golf course, or as open space if golf wasn’t feasible.
On three separate ballot measures, voters weighed in directly and indirectly on the future of the land. Each time, the developers lost and found themselves facing new obstacles.
Battles played out at city council, at the ballot box, and even in court, and the Park Hill neighborhood was bitterly split over the land’s future.
The final blow came in the 2023 municipal election. Westside’s proposal—supported by a Community Benefits Agreement negotiated with neighborhood leaders in Northeast Park Hill—was defeated by voters citywide.
Westside boarded up the land and let the weeds grow. Golf, the company said, would be the inevitable future. But it hasn’t happened. The greens never greened and the tees were never teed, with No Trespassing signs warning off visitors.
Now, Westside is set to leave the land. And a new park is likely coming to town.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
