The agreements defining the future of Park Hill Golf Course
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The Park Hill Golf Course site on Wednesday in Denver. Photo: Esteban L. Hernandez/Axios
The public and Denver hold a key legal tool in deciding the future of the Park Hill Golf Course site.
State of play: Westside Investment Partners, which owns the 155-acre site, has signed two agreements this year — one with the community, another with the city — outlining what will be built there.
- The two legally binding agreements were created with feedback from the public and Westside Investment Partners, who say they are committed to following it.
Catch up quick: Development on the site can only take place if Referred Measure 2O passes during next week's election.
- The measure asks voters whether a conservation easement on the property allowing only for it to be used as a golf course should be lifted.
Between the lines: The contracts mandate certain requirements for building on the property at Colorado Boulevard and East 35th Avenue:
- At least 25% of housing must be income-restricted for 99 years.
- There must be income-restricted rental units available for people making 80% or less of the area median income ($62,600 for a single person).
- Land to lure a full-service grocery store should be donated and made available for this sole purpose for 10 years.
- At least 100 acres must be reserved as a publicly accessible park or open space.
What they're saying: "Together, they represent the most comprehensive and transparent set of conditions on any development in the history of Denver," Bill Rigler, spokesperson for the Yes on 2O campaign, told us in a statement.
- Rigler said the agreements will keep landowners "accountable" for their commitments on land donations, affordable housing and community benefits.
Threat level: Attorney Noah Stout, who helped draft the community agreement, tells us a property owner can be taken to court if it violates the deal.
Yes, but: Denver City Councilmember Candi CdeBaca, who voted against the development agreement between the city and the property owner, called the contract "vague" and "insufficient" during a January meeting.
- Yes for Parks and Open Space, which opposes the measure, did not return an email from Axios Denver seeking comment.
What we're hearing: The community agreement reflects top priorities for some Park Hill residents, who want housing to safeguard neighborhood residents from displacement and a grocery store.
The latest: During a press conference on Monday, supporters backing the ballot measure touted the community agreement signed by 10 Park Hill organizations collectively called the CBA Coalition.
- "This is about the people who have lived in this community for all these years getting some of the things they want and have needed," Park Hill resident Kenneth Floyd told Axios Denver after Monday's event.
The intrigue: The community agreement applies to future property owners, not just the ones who agreed to the terms, Stout tells us.