It’s a massive, rolling expanse of green in the middle of a concrete jungle. To some, the Park Hill Golf Course Colorado property is the "lungs of the city," a rare chance to keep North Denver from becoming a total heat island. To others, it represents a colossal missed opportunity to fix a housing crisis that is pricing out generations of families.
Honestly, it’s a mess.
If you drive past 35th and Colorado Boulevard today, you won’t see golfers. You’ll see a fence. You’ll see weeds. You’ll see a landscape that has become the most contentious plot of dirt in the entire state. This isn't just about sports anymore. It’s about who gets to decide what a city looks like 50 years from now.
The Weird History of a Land Not Used for Golf
You’ve gotta understand that this land hasn't really functioned as a standard golf course for a while. It’s been stuck in a legal and political purgatory since 2018. Basically, the city of Denver holds a conservation easement on the property. That’s a fancy legal way of saying the land is required to be used as a golf course or open space in perpetuity—unless the city agrees to lift it.
Westside Investment Partners bought the land back in 2019 for about $24 million. They knew the easement existed. They bet they could get the city to change the rules. It was a high-stakes gamble that ended up splitting the neighborhood into two very loud, very angry camps.
One side, backed by groups like "Save Open Space Denver," argued that once you pave over a park, you never get it back. They pointed to the fact that Northeast Denver is historically underserved when it comes to tree canopy and public parks. On the flip side, the "Yes for Parks and Homes" crowd argued that a defunct, privately-owned golf course isn't a park—it’s just a fenced-off field. They wanted 2,500 units of housing, including a massive chunk of income-restricted affordable units.
What the 2023 Vote Really Settled
The drama peaked in April 2023 with Ballot Requirement 2O.
It was a landslide.
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Denver voters didn't just reject the development plan; they crushed it. Over 59% of voters said "no" to lifting the easement. It was a stunning defeat for the developers and then-Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration, which had largely supported the mixed-use plan.
But here’s the thing: voting "no" didn't magically turn it into a public park.
The developer still owns it. The easement still says it has to be a golf course. But the developer has zero interest in running a golf course. So, we are currently at a stalemate. The land just sits there. It’s a 155-acre ghost town in the middle of a city desperate for space.
The Environmental Reality Nobody Mentions
People talk about the "lungs of Denver," but let’s be real about the ecology.
A golf course is a monoculture. It’s not exactly a thriving wildlife refuge. However, in a city like Denver, where the "urban heat island effect" is a genuine health hazard, that much unpaved land is significant. According to data from the Trust for Public Land, the Park Hill and Northeast Park Hill neighborhoods have significantly less park access than wealthier Denver enclaves.
There's also the 39th Avenue Greenway project nearby. That was a massive $100 million effort to manage stormwater and create recreation space. People in Park Hill see the golf course as the final piece of that puzzle. They want a regional park. Think City Park or Washington Park, but for the north side.
The problem? Money.
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For the city to turn the Park Hill Golf Course Colorado site into a public park, they’d likely have to buy it from Westside. Estimates for that price tag vary wildly, but it wouldn't be cheap. We’re talking tens of millions of dollars just for the land, let alone the tens of millions more to build the actual park infrastructure.
Complexity and Gentrification
You can't talk about Park Hill without talking about race and displacement.
This neighborhood was one of the few places in Denver where Black families could buy homes during the era of redlining. Now, it’s one of the fastest-gentrifying areas in the city. When developers proposed "affordable housing," many long-term residents were skeptical. They’ve seen "affordable" projects before that still felt out of reach.
But younger residents—many of whom are struggling to pay $2,000 for a one-bedroom apartment—felt betrayed by the vote. They see a massive field being "saved" for a sport most people can't afford to play, while they get pushed further and further out to Aurora or Brighton.
It's a classic "Not In My Backyard" (NIMBY) vs. "Yes In My Backyard" (YIMBY) showdown. The NIMBYs won the vote, but nobody has won the actual battle for the land's future.
The Current Legal Limbo
Right now, the property is essentially a private backyard for the owner.
Because the easement remains, the developer can't build houses. Because the developer owns it, the city can't just walk on and start planting trees. There have been whispers of "condemnation"—where the city uses eminent domain to take the land for public use—but that’s a legal nuclear option that usually takes a decade in court.
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Current Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has a lot on his plate with the homelessness crisis and the city budget. Taking on a billion-dollar legal fight over a golf course might not be at the top of his to-do list, even if the voters made their stance clear.
Misconceptions About the "Park"
One of the biggest misconceptions is that the land is currently a park. It isn't. You can't go walk your dog there. You can't have a picnic there. It's private property.
Another myth: that it will definitely become a golf course again.
Highly unlikely. The economics of golf have shifted. Unless a massive non-profit or a very wealthy enthusiast steps in to lease the land and restore the greens, it’s going to stay a fallow field. The irrigation systems are aging, the clubhouse is dated, and the cost of maintenance is astronomical.
Actionable Steps for the Future
If you live in Denver or are moving to the Northeast area, you need to stay involved because this isn't over. The 2023 vote was a chapter, not the ending.
- Watch the City Council Agendas: Any movement on "eminent domain" or "negotiated purchase" will start in the Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
- Support the Park Hill Neighborhood Association: Whether you want a park or housing, this is where the conversations happen. They are the frontline for community input.
- Understand the Easement: If you’re a policy nerd, read the actual 1997 conservation easement document. It’s the "Constitution" of this specific 155 acres.
- Monitor the "Northeast Area Plan": This is the city's long-term blueprint. Even though the golf course vote failed, the city still has to figure out how to handle the surrounding density and transit.
The Park Hill Golf Course Colorado saga is a lesson in what happens when a city's past (the easement) crashes into its future (the need for housing). It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s nowhere near finished. For now, the land sits silent, a 155-acre reminder that in real estate, nothing is ever simple.