The former Park Hill Golf Course is on its way to becoming Park Hill Park as soon as late summer or early fall.

The 155-acre open space is currently fenced off and in the process of being purchased by the city to be turned into one of Denver’s largest public parks.

The real estate transaction is underway, and the city remains on track to close on the property by late summer according to Laura Swartz the communications director for the Department of Finance.

Once acquired, Denver Parks and Recreation hopes to have the fences down and the space safe and open for passive use within 30 days of closing according to a DPR spokesperson.

In January the city finalized a land-swap agreement with Andy Klein, founder and managing principal of developer Westside Investments, to turn the land into a regional park.

In the agreement, Denver will trade 145-acres of city-owned industrial property in Adams County for the Park Hill property currently owned by Westside Development.

The fate of the old golf course wasn’t so clear until recently and has been a contentious issue among residents in recent years.

The golf course, which closed in 2018, has had a land conservation easement in place since 1997.

Some residents along with Westside, wanted to lift the easement in order to redevelop the space for mixed-use.

Westside’s plan for the space proposed 100 acres of park, a variety of housing with an emphasis on affordability, commercial space and a grocery store which many residents say the neighborhood desperately needs.

Kevin Marchman, the head of the Northeast Park Hill Coalition, is one of those residents.

“There is virtually no shopping for that quadrant of Northeast Park Hill,” he said.

However, in April 2023, Park Hill residents overwhelmingly voted to reject Referred Question 2O, which would have lifted the conservation easement on the former golf course and allowed for its proposed redevelopment.

“We really wanted to enforce that agreement and have it stand as it should,” said Colette Carey, the former director of communications for Save Open Space Denver, a volunteer group dedicated to keeping the golf course a green space.

Marchman said that despite the former golf course not being available for the development of housing or grocery stores that members of the Northeast Park Hill Coalition have recently met with city planners to discuss the immediate area around the site.

Although the discussions about meeting those needs in the surrounding area are in the very first stages, Marchman remains optimistic.

“I applaud the City Planning Department and Parks and Rec they are taking this seriously,” he said.

Carey said she believes affordable housing in the area remains a concern for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.

“A huge concern for them is to make sure that there isn’t what they call green gentrification around that area, that it remains affordable for the people of Northeast Park Hill,” she said.

Green gentrification refers to the phenomenon in which property values in areas with green spaces tend to rise, potentially displacing lower income residents.

Marchman emphasized that Park Hill Park is a green gentrification issue and that Denver needs to be mindful.

“How the city has changed and what was sometimes proposed was not always economically beneficial for those who live in the northeast quadrant of the city,” he said.

Now as the city moves forward with its vision for the property, Johnston’s administration wants to allocate $70 million for developing the regional park in the Vibrant Denver Bond.

The proposed bond funding would pay for the park’s basic infrastructure such as irrigation, landscape, walkways, parking lots, playgrounds, sports fields, water play, picnic areas and a dog park.

As the city moves forward envisioning what the park could look like, it’s been asking residents to weigh in with their vision for the open space.

In a recent survey, DPR released three potential mockups for the park and asked residents which elements of either mockup they liked the most.

The three renderings included, “Nature Runs Through” with an emphasis on natural landscapes and water, “Colorado’s Front Door” which focuses on adventure activities and “Cultural Core” which celebrates local artists and culture with a focus on community events.

The survey closed July 21, but DPR said it’s too early to say what the findings are.

As the end of summer approaches and the opening of the space moves closer, many residents remain enthusiastic.

“I just want it to be a spot where people are able to enjoy,” said Shane Sutherland, Chair of Greater Park Hill Community Inc.

Carey said she is excited and hopes that the community can heal following the long process to get the park approved.

Marchman knows residents are eager for a park, but that some community members remain skeptical as the planning process proceeds.

“It is much more than a redevelopment of a park to so many people,” he said. “There is no doubt about it.”