The decision follows a 2023 referendum in which 58.8% of Denver voters rejected a mixed‑use proposal, cementing public opposition to commercial conversion. City Council approved a land‑swap with Westside Investment Partners in 2025, exchanging 145 acres near the airport for the former golf course and injecting $12.7 million from the Parks Legacy Fund into the deal.
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, famed for Brooklyn Bridge Park and The 606, entered a competitive bid that drew interest worldwide. Founder Michael Van Valkenburgh will personally oversee the project, which will feature athletic fields, playgrounds, water‑sensitive streetscapes, and a community field house.
Funding remains a moving target: Denver voters approved $70 million of the $950 million Vibrant Denver Bond for the park in 2025, leaving $30 million to be sourced from the city’s capital‑works and private partners. The design contract, still under negotiation, is expected to close later this year.
Construction is slated to commence in June 2028, with the park projected to open in 2029. City officials have said parts of the site could stay open during building, allowing joggers to use the existing trails while work progresses.
Protective measures will involve a formal designation of the land as parkland, requiring voter approval for any future sale or development. Denver Parks & Recreation noted that the new park will serve over 400,000 residents annually, including families from the Eastgate neighborhood who remember the golf course as a childhood playground.