On October 28, Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR), alongside Mayor Mike Johnston, Councilwoman Shontel M. Lewis, and Councilman Darrell Watson, celebrated the initial opening of Park Hill Park. Thanks to a historic land exchange, the city now owns this site, which is open to the public for passive recreation from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Visitors can enjoy existing trails, natural scenery, and wildlife viewing, though amenities are minimal at this stage.
“Today has been years in the making, and we are here only because of the tireless efforts of community advocates and city employees who want to see this land transformed into Denver’s next great park,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “But the work is not finished. I am grateful City Council included Park Hill Park in the Vibrant Denver Bond package for voters to consider on next week’s ballot.”
This opening marks the first step in a long-term process; the full vision and framework for the park are still in development, guiding future design and features. DPR will continue to engage the community in shaping the park’s future, ensuring it reflects the needs and values of the community. In the meantime, the site will continue to be maintained by DPR and managed as open space.
“Voters made it clear; they want to keep green space in the Park Hill neighborhood.” says Councilwoman Shontel M. Lewis. “As we move forward with designing and building this regional park, my goal is to ensure the final design is driven by the surrounding community. Additionally, through the neighborhood planning initiative; I’m focused on ensuring that long-time residents are protected from displacement and supported with the resources they need to remain in place. We’ve seen what happens when communities are left out of the process, and I am committed to ensuring that is not the case.”
The Park Visioning and Framework phase is currently underway and aims to create a vision that outlines the guiding principles, goals, types of amenities, and desired experiences for the future regional park.
“Park Hill Park is a perfect example of how quality green space helps establish the identity of a community,” said Council Member Darrell Watson, District 9. “This will be more than just a park; with continued input from neighbors, this will be a place that strengthens bonds and makes Park Hill a better place to live for everyone.”
The land on which Park Hill resides can be traced back to the tribal lands of the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Nuuchu (Ute), and Tsistsistas (Cheyenne) and carries a historical significance within the Black community and the fight for social justice. The conversion of the course is inseparable from its urban legacy, and planning the return of this green space to the Park Hill community will center on building an equitable and resilient resource that is shared by all.
“This is only the beginning”, said DPR Executive Director Jolon Clark. “This park will be a living representation of our City’s love of the outdoors. We will keep involving residents through the design process to turn this beautiful natural space into a lasting community asset”.
The project was made possible by a land-exchange agreement between the City of Denver and Westside Investment Partners. The historic exchange is the city’s single largest acquisition of private land for conversion into an urban public park.
