Denver Parkland Protections Advance: City taps MVVA for Park Hill design; bond funds back new park

Denver is moving ahead with plans to turn the former Park Hill Golf Course into a major public green space, appointing a prominent landscape architecture firm to lead its design while taking steps to safeguard the property against future development. The decision follows years of debate over the site’s future, culminating in a 2023 vote in which Denver residents rejected a proposal to develop the land. The announcement was reported by Axios Denver and The Denver Gazette on October 13, 2026. Both outlets said Mayor Mike Johnston had selected Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) to oversee the design of the 155-acre Park Hill Park, with the city also pursuing formal protections to preserve the land for public use. The project marks a significant stage in the transformation of a former golf course into a regional park intended to serve residents across Denver.A new future for a contested siteLocated in northeast Denver, the property operated as a golf course from the 1930s until its closure in 2018. Its future became a subject of public debate after the former owner explored plans for a mixed-use development.In 2023, voters rejected a development measure by 58.8% to 42.2%, reinfo...