Denver’s newest city-owned park will open on Oct. 28 and will initially operate as open space, according to an announcement from Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday.

“We welcome Denver to see this park not for what it is today but what it can be,” Johnston said. “For years we have heard from the community about not only what this land means to Northeast Denver, but the value it brings to our entire city. Our work will continue until the park, and every improvement that comes with it, reflects the wishes and needs of a neighborhood that has fought tirelessly for this day to come.” 

City officials note that while the park still needs major renovations, public access will be restricted to daylight hours and limited to passive use such as walking and jogging. 

Fencing around the park will remain, but with key entryways for community access.

“This park officially belongs to the people of Denver, and we look forward to bringing the community’s vision to life as we continue to develop the future of this space”, Denver Parks and Recreation Executive Director Jolon Clark said in a statement.  

Residents may sign up for the email list for updates about the park. 

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 traded 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 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.

The city finalized an agreement to acquire the property from Westside Investment Partners this month.

At 155 acres, Park Hill will become the city’s fourth largest park and the largest acquisition of its kind in Denver in more than 100 years. The historic exchange is the city’s single largest acquisition of private land for conversion into an urban public park and fulfills Johnston’s promise to deliver the property back to the public.  

The park is expected to become more accessible as infrastructure improvements are made.  

Upon announcing its intent to acquire the property, the city and Parks and Recreation officials launched a comprehensive community visioning process to collect feedback on the features, amenities, and priorities of the future park design. The third survey, which has already collected thousands of suggestions, closes Oct. 23. The city is also simultaneously engaging with the community on priorities for the surrounding area, such as affordable housing, access to fresh food, and support for small businesses. 

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, according to the news release. 

Denver will celebrate the opening of Park Hill on Oct. 28.