DENVER — City officials officially opened Denver's newest park to the public on Tuesday.
Mayor Mike Johnston called Park Hill Park, located at East 35th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, "a bit of a fixer-upper" in its current form, but asked the community to stay involved as it takes shape.
"It is both a celebration of what is, and a call to action for what can be," Johnston said.
The land has a complicated history. In 2019, a developer purchased the property, hoping to build housing and commercial space. But in 2023, voters rejected that idea. The city acquired the 155 acres through a land swap earlier this year.
Click here to see Denver7's detailed timeline about the Park Hill Golf Course.
Shane Murphy, who lives down the street from the park, watched fencing go up and grass become overgrown.
"My first impression is, we've arrived. The park is open, and we kind of go from here," said Murphy.
As the community celebrated the park's opening Tuesday afternoon, neighbors who have spent years voicing their input shared mixed reactions.
"We have a long way to go, have a long way to go," said Deronn Turner, who lives in northeast Park Hill.
Turner told Denver7 she is trying to stay optimistic about what the park will become, but she isn't happy about what it currently offers.
"It's a little bit disappointing from the perspective of the only thing that can really be done is you can walk your dog here," Turner said.
There are plans to bring more amenities, but Denver voters will need to first approve Ballot Issue 2B in next week's election.
"Y'all heard me, it will not be a full park if you do not show up on Tuesday," Denver City Councilmember Darrell Watson told the community Tuesday. "Your vote is needed to ensure that the investments in this space deliver for you and your family."
Ballot Issues 2A through 2E are connected to the Vibrant Denver bond package, which would fund various infrastructure projects, including improvements to roads, parks, city facilities and shelters. Each ballot issue is connected to different projects.
If one question fails to win over voters, the others can still pass, allowing voters to decide which kinds of projects they want to approve, our partners at The Denver Post report. The package, in total, proposes to take out nearly $1 billion in debt to pay for approximately 60 projects across the city.
Denver
Park Hill Park is now open to the public during daylight hours
Ballot Issue 2B, if approved by voters, would authorize $175 million in city debt for improvements to parks and recreational facilities. About $70 million would be used to add amenities to Park Hill Park, from sports fields to picnic areas or even a dog park.
For now, Park Hill Park is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, for passive recreation. Visitors can enjoy existing trails, natural scenery and wildlife viewing.
