Park Hill Golf Course is finally in the city’s hands and will open to the public as Park Hill Park on Oct. 28, Mayor Mike Johnston announced Wednesday.
The park will be operated from sunup to sundown. It will be limited to passive uses like walking, jogging and enjoying the views until it is fully renovated.
In January, Johnston announced the city had acquired 155 acres of land for the fourth-largest park in more than 100 years. Earlier this month, that acquisition was finalized from previous owner, Westside Investment Partners.
The company had planned to turn the former private park into a mix of housing, retail and a massive park funded by the developer.
But Westside’s efforts were scuttled by the public in three separate votes – two affirming a conservation easement that protected the land’s use as a golf course and recreational open space, and one declining the creation of a park on the land.
Many park advocates celebrated the vote, while many housing advocates viewed it as a major loss.
The park has suffered damage in recent years, and the design and renovations of the park is anticipated to take several years and cost an untold amount of money.
Denverites will be asked to vote for $75 million in funding for the first stage of development as part of Mayor Mike Johnston’s Vibrant Denver bond package, though the total cost, still unannounced, is anticipated to cost far more. Some other funding will likely come from the Parks Legacy Fund.
“For years we have heard from the community about not only what this land means to Northeast Denver, but the value it brings to our entire city,” Johnston said in a statement. “Our work will continue until the park, and every improvement that comes with it, reflects the wishes and needs of a neighborhood that has fought tirelessly for this day to come.”
The city is asking for public feedback on what the future of the park looks like. To participate in a survey, go here.
