Denver Unveils Park Hill Park Framework, Invites Community Input
Denver has officially unveiled its first framework for transforming the former Park Hill Golf Course into what will become the city’s newest and fourth-largest park. Spanning 155 acres, the site represents Denver’s largest-ever purchase of private land for public park space and marks the city’s most ambitious park project since Washington Park was developed in 1911.
More than 300 residents attended an open house at the Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center, where city staff encouraged participants to place models of potential amenities—like playgrounds, dog parks, sports fields, and gardens—onto a giant site map. The goal was to let the community visualize and influence what the park might look like.
Beyond recreation, city planners are also focusing on affordability and neighborhood stability. Officials noted that new development could bring outside investment and rising costs, potentially displacing residents and businesses. To counter this, the city is collecting input on strategies for housing affordability, food access, and safe mobility options like biking and walking connections to the park.
The feedback will shape a “Community Action Plan,” guiding both near-term improvements and the long-term vision. City leaders say the process is as much about rebuilding trust as it is about building a park, inviting residents to continue weighing in through surveys and future community meetings.
Funding for the park is expected to come in part from the mayor’s proposed $70 million allocation in the “Vibrant Denver” bond package, which will go before voters in November. If approved, neighbors will have an even greater say in shaping what’s poised to become one of the city’s most significant public spaces.
