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.
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 project marks a significant stage in the transformation of a former golf course into a regional park intended to serve residents across Denver.
Alongside the design process, Denver plans to formally designate Park Hill as parkland. The designation is intended to provide long-term certainty after years of disagreement over whether the land should become a development site or remain open space.
The measure would strengthen protections against future development by requiring voter approval before the property could be sold or disposed of.
Its portfolio includes Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, Gathering Place in Tulsa, the grounds surrounding the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago and the transformation of the former rail corridor now known as The 606. MVVA will lead the park’s design, bringing experience from major public-space projects across the United States. Water conservation is expected to be an important consideration. The landscape concept calls for a distinctly Colorado character, with an emphasis on native and drought-tolerant plants suited to the region’s climate. The aim is to balance active recreation with open space and opportunities for visitors to experience the natural landscape.