Denver’s La Alma Lincoln Park is set to get several updates after Denver Parks and Recreation was awarded an $8.4 million grant from the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.

The grant money will be used to upgrade the park with new features. Among these, according to a news release from DPR, includes a playground expansion, an “exercise and cultural story loop” and a picnic grove, among others. The announcement generated gratitude and excitement from Denver Parks and Recreation staff and members of the Trust for Public Land who, in 2013 helped with a round of previous improvements made at the park.

In 2023, the Trust for Public Land began working with eligible applicants to apply for Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership money, which included Denver Parks and Recreation. The Trust for Public Land said it is a proud supporter of Denver’s “continued investments” into the park.

“La Alma Lincoln Park was so important to Chicano activism in Denver and continues to stand as a place where Mexican Americans can gather and celebrate their heritage,” Jim Petterson, vice president of the Mountain West Region for Trust for Public Land said in the release. “We’re so thrilled to see this record-setting ORLP funding dedicated to La Alma to ensure future generations have access to this special place.”

The area around the park is part of the La Alma Historic Cultural District, Denver’s first such district, and is one of the oldest residential areas in the city, according to Historic Denver.

The park was “heart of Denver’s Chicano Movement” of the 1960s and 1970s. In Denver, the Chicano Movement — a social justice movement largely started by Mexican Americans — began in 1969 when students at West High School walked out and marched to Baker Junior High School in protest. Students, with the support of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales’s Crusade for Justice, wanted to have more bilingual classes and see more Chicano history and literature incorporated in the school’s curriculum, according to the Community College of Denver.

When students returned to West High School, Denver Police in riot gear were already there and violence broke out almost immediately.

The next day, 1,200 people across Denver gathered to protest again, and marched to Lincoln Park. More violence followed and resulted in “four days of unrest,” arguably starting the national Chicano Movement.

In Denver, “huge strides” were made in improving education in Denver because of the Chicano Movement, the Community College of Denver’s report said.

The improvements coming to the La Alma-Lincoln Park area aim to preserve the park’s history, enhance safety in the park and create a “versatile space” for daily use and community events, according to the release.

“This is truly exciting news for the La Alma-Lincoln Park community. The vision plan, developed through extensive neighborhood engagement, will revitalize this historic park as a vibrant gathering place that honors its rich cultural heritage while providing new amenities for residents of all ages,” Park Planning, Design and Construction Director Gordon Robertson, said. “With this funding, we can begin bringing the community’s vision to life – creating an inclusive space that celebrates the soul of the neighborhood and provides opportunities for recreation, connection, and pride for generations to come.”

The La Alma Park was closed in June with the city citing unsafe conditions and drug dealing. Sections of the park were closed for at least 30 days, according to a previous report by The Denver Gazette.