The Parks, Recreation and Cultural services Department has implemented voter-approved park improvements citywide thanks to voter approval of ballot issue 2B in the November 2019 election which allowed the City to keep $7 million in excess TABOR revenue.
Planned Projects
Browse below for a breakdown of completed and in progress projects. These projects received funding from TABOR retention while also utilizing additional funding from other sources.
Downtown Historic Parks: Acacia, Antlers and Alamo Square
About the parks: Thanks to city founder General William J. Palmer, there has been a vision for an interconnected park system for Colorado Springs since 1871. He wanted the city to become, “the most attractive place in the West for homes—a place for schools, colleges, literature, science, first-class newspapers and everything the above imply.”
Acacia, Antlers, and Alamo Square parks are some of Palmer’s earliest efforts to improve the quality of life for residents.
Master plans for each of the three parks were approved by the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Advisory Board in 2020.
Planned improvements:
- Dog park in Antlers Park
Completed improvements:
- Gazebo restoration in Alamo Square Park
- New playground in Acacia Park
- Sign replacement for the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum in Alamo Square Park
Monument Valley Park
About the park: This community park primarily serves the central and west areas, but is a destination site for events, commuters and sports activities
Completed improvements:
- Historic pavillion restoration
- 18 trees planted, including maple, Dakota birch, linden, bald cypress and pin oak.
- Sports lighting for pickleball courts
- Irrigation replaced with updated system
Palmer Park
About the park: Located near north, central and eastern residents, Palmer Park serves the City as a regional park. One of the most frequent requests we hear from our residents and visitors is to improve trail signage to minimize confusion when navigating the park.
Completed improvements:
- Wayfinding signage installed, which aims to make the centrally-located park easier to navigate.
Cottonwood Creek Park
About the park: This community park is located at the corner of Dublin Blvd. and Rangewood Drive on the north side of the city.
Completed improvements:
Artificial turf installed on the three softball fields at Cottonwood Creek Park; this is a cost and water-saving measure that will allow the lighted sports complex to be used for other sports, like soccer, without risk of compromising the field condition. It’s estimated that the conversion will save 2.8 million gallons of water annually. The sod from the fields was removed and replanted near the playground in Palmer Park.
Leon Young Sports Complex
About the park: Located near Fountain Blvd and Chelton Road on the city’s southeast side.
Completed Improvements:
Parking lot repairs providing a safer space for residents and visitors
Boulder and Thorndale Parks
About the park: These two neighborhood parks serve the Central and West areas of our city
Completed improvements:
- Sport court replacement including the construction of four tennis/pickleball courts. Boulder and Thorndale Parks were selected for court replacement based on community support and continued interest in these two neighborhood parks.
Panorama Park
Panorama Park, the 13.5 acre neighborhood park located in Southeast Colorado Springs, adjacent to Panorama Middle School is now open! The renovation of Panorama Park was the largest in City history and was a highly collaborative community process. TABOR retention funds were applied to the new water feature and play area. Learn more about this renovation by visiting ColoradoSprings.gov/PanoramaParkRenovation.
Homestead, Mesa, Legacy Loop and Sand Creek trails improvements
About the trails: These trails are located in the north, west and east/south areas of the city. The project also continues the efforts to connect the Legacy Loop.
Completed improvements:
Existing asphalt was removed and replaced with concrete from Columbia to Uintah streets along the Shooks Run Trail corridor, a section of Legacy Loop. The new concrete trail is 10-feet wide with a 2-foot gravel running path on one side of the trail. The project also includes four new, ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps.
Two deteriorating asphalt segments of the Palmer-Mesa Trail were replaced with concrete. The section located parallel to 30th Street was approximately 1,300-feet long, and the section along Mesa Avenue was 155-feet long.
Part of the Sand Creek Trail, from the northernmost section of Wildflower Park to Nordic Drive, was improved by removing deteriorating asphalt and replacing it with concrete.
A stretch of failing asphalt on the Homestead Trail, from Barnes Road to Coneflower Lane was replaced with concrete.
Fairview and Evergreen Cemeteries
About the locations: Fairview and Evergreen cemeteries are the oldest, continuously operated cemeteries in the city. In 1993, Evergreen was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, only the second cemetery in the state to receive this designation. Located in the south and western areas of the city, the cemeteries serve the entire community.
Completed improvements:
- Repaved parking lots to allow for a safer and improved experience for visitors. 2C paving funds were also used.
Norman Bulldog Coleman Community Park Master Plan
About the park: Coleman Park currently houses the Switchbacks and Vibes sports teams and allows for sporting activities and events.
Planned Improvements: This funding will give the community the opportunity to help plan this 70-acre community park in the eastern part of the city off Tutt Boulevard and Barnes Road. The master plan effort is underway with outreach opportunities starting in approximately May 2022. Visit ColoradoSprings.gov/colemanpark for details.