Save Open Space Denver urges $70 million allocation to build out Park Hill Park

Maria Flora, speaking for Save Open Space Denver, urged Denver City Council on July 21 to approve a $70,000,000 allocation for initial build-out of Park Hill Park, a 155-acre site the city is acquiring.
Flora said Denver voters have approved new city park funding in three citywide votes and described the $70,000,000 request as “a modest amount for the initial infrastructure for a regional park,” listing playgrounds, sports fields, picnic areas and basic walking paths. She said the city must also repair irrigation and landscaping and that the community seeks a functional park rather than deferred maintenance.
Flora criticized Westside Investment Partners for cutting public access after it lost a development bid and said the property has deteriorated — with drying turf, dying trees, vandalism and theft of irrigation pipes and electrical equipment at a clubhouse. She said the site was a long-standing community gathering space and that Northeast Denver is designated as an area of greater need for parks and recreation.
These remarks were part of public comment and do not by themselves allocate bond funds. Any council action on the bond or allocations will occur in later formal proceedings and votes.