Supporters of the former Park Hill Golf Course redevelopment pressed for support from voters Thursday with less than a week to go before election day, arguing the project would help the historically disenfranchised communities surrounding the 155-acre plot.
Property owners Westside Investment Partners want to redevelop the land to feature housing and mixed-use retail. Opposing groups, notably Save Open Space Denver, want it reimagined as a large regional park.
The potential new homes — up to 3,200, one quarter of which would be classified as affordable unites — means increased household stability for many who need it, according to Heather Lafferty, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Metropolitan Denver.
"I think about people today and I think about people in the future, the stability that they will experience and the stability that our community will experience because our neighbors have a good home," she said during the press conference. "Residents will not be priced out which ensures that our neighbors and our workforce have a place today and in the future."
In January, The Denver City Council approved several measures that will support redevelopment, but the land cannot be repurposed for mixed-use residential or park space until voters allow the city to lift the conservation easement currently in place. Due to Ordinance 301, passed in 2021, voters must decide whether to lift or keep area under the easement.
In addition to building 2,500-3,200 new housing units, Westside's plan includes donating 100 acres of the plot to the city for use as a regional park, which would become Denver's fourth largest.
"Park Hill Golf Course is a great deal for Denver and the residents of this historically disenfranchised, Black community of Northeast Park Hill, who helped shape this plan for their community," District 4 Councilwoman Kendra Black said at the press conference organized by the Yes for 2O campaign. "We can't ignore the years and years of neglect that the Northeast Park Hill community has endured or the food desert that exists today."
A food desert is an area where residents do not have easy access to healthy or fresh foods. The Community Benefits Agreement, which is one of two legally binding contracts Westside entered into through its subsidiary ACM Park Hill, states a parcel of land held for ten years will be reserved for a grocery store. The two-acre plot has already grabbed the attention of about a half dozen potential grocers, according to a spokesperson for Westside.
Opponents of the redevelopment, who want the land to be preserved as open space, argue that once the 155 acres of land is gone, it's gone forever. They worry that Denver will effectively throw away the large plot of future park space.
The conservation easement expressly prohibits the use of the land for anything but an 18-hole golf course.
Other concerns revolve around the affordable housing unit model, which uses area median incomes to set rents and determine who is eligible.
Some worry that within five years, even the affordable housing units will only be open to those make six figures.
The legally binding agreements state for-sale units shall be income restricted to those making 120% of the area median income or less, with an average affordability of 100% AMI. Also, rental properties will be restricted to those making 80% AMI or lower, with an average affordability of 60% AMI for all income restricted units. In Denver, 100% AMI stood at $82,100 for a single person in 2022.
