Denver will buy about 2 acres of vacant land for a new park in the Windsor neighborhood in southeast Denver.
The park will be at 1060 S. Emporia St., part of an area that currently has only Ben Bezoff Park. The Denver City Council approved a $750,000 purchase of the land on Monday.
“We promised the voters who approved the Parks Legacy Fund six years ago that we would do this kind of thing, and this is the first time it's happening in District Five,” said Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, who characterized the purchase of the land as “joy.”
The Parks Legacy Fund, a sales tax voters passed in 2018, pays for land acquisition, planning, and maintenance for parks. The .25 percent tax adds 25 cents to every $100 purchase.
Most of the money for the sale will come from the Parks Legacy Fund, though $75,000 will be donated by the nonprofit Denver Park Trust.
The property is at the intersection of South Dayton Street and East Mississippi Avenue, across the street from Challenge School.
The city will pay $750,000 to the land’s current owner, the High Line Swim Club. Parks and Recreation also asked city council for $200,000 for planning, tree care and the cost of the sale.
The new park will serve 1,700 households, according to the city. It’s part of the city’s effort to ensure every Denverite can walk, roll or ride to a park within 10 minutes of their homes.
