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Sun Valley is in desperate need of a park. Residents are hoping the bond accelerates construction

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Sun Valley is in desperate need of a park. Residents are hoping the bond accelerates construction


Longtime Sun Valley advocate Jeanne Granville stands by the future site of Sun Valley Riverfront Park. July 2, 2025.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

After years of redevelopment, displaced Sun Valley residents are returning to public housing.

The $450 million redevelopment of Denver’s poorest neighborhood was, in many cases, painful. Longtime residents were displaced from their brick homes as the city set about building a mixed-income community. The city also razed old parks to make room for the developments. 

Numan Mahamed was among those residents and was relocated out of the neighborhood about a decade ago, when he was 9. Now, he’s 19 years old and living in one of the newly opened housing developments. But he’s not returning to the same Sun Valley. 

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Numan Mahamed (center) stands with Noor (7) and Farhan (8) during the Sun Valley Youth Center’s weekly barbecue. July 2, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

“There was probably about four or five parks in Sun Valley back then, and that’s where most of my fondest memories growing up happened,” Mahamed said. “There’s probably one or two new parks in the new apartments, but it’s just not the same as before.”

Longtime and returning residents say a new, proper park is badly needed to enhance livability in Sun Valley. However, while towering public housing has been opened, development on a planned riverfront park has slowed. But significant money from the upcoming bond package could boost the project again. 

There aren’t a lot of proper outdoor places Sun Valley residents can go. 

Within Sun Valley’s borders, Denver Parks and Recreation lists Rude Park and Weir Gulch Marina Park as city-managed parks. But many say they don’t count those as amenity-heavy city parks, like Cheesman Park or Barnum Park.  

“There’s like a picnic table,” said Jeanne Granville, president of the Sun Valley Community Coalition. “There’s really nothing there.”

Longtime Sun Valley advocate Jeanne Granville (right) chats with people gathered for the Sun Valley Youth Center’s weekly barbecue off Decatur Street. July 2, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Residents found some relief in Fairview Elementary School for a bit. But shortly after people started moving back, Denver Public Schools shuttered the campus and fences went up, making it harder to access its grass field and playground. 

Some of the new developments have small playgrounds, but Granville doesn’t consider those a “real park area.”

In 2019, Parks and Rec identified Sun Valley — and much of southwest Denver — as a neighborhood with a high need for a park. 

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There are plans for an 11-acre regional park next to the Platte. 

In the near future, Sun Valley residents hope to see the vision of a riverfront park stretching from 6th Avenue to 20th Avenue come to fruition. 

Plans for the park — which is going by Sun Valley Riverfront Park for now — go back as far as 2017. That’s when the Elevate Denver bond package included $2 million to design the park. Documents from the time projected a 2024 project completion date. 

However, it’s now 2025, and the park is still just a dirt lot. The pathway towards building the park has hit numerous speed bumps. Namely, the area had to be cleaned up from decades of use as Xcel’s Zuni Generating Station, which processed coal, natural gas and steam energy. 

Longtime Sun Valley advocate Jeanne Granville drives by the Xcel Energy’s Zuni Steam Power Plant, which she’s been working to save. July 2, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Granville also said the design went through several iterations before the larger community signed off on it. 

In a Denver Housing Authority presentation to Denver City Council last month, designs for Phase I of the park showed a playground, a splash pad, an event plaza and gardens featuring plants native to Colorado. Only about half of the final park will be constructed during this phase. 

Riverfront Park may get more money to kick off the final leg of construction. 

The project has been identified as a high-priority development in the upcoming 2025 Vibrant Denver bond package. Granville said the neighborhood has requested $20 million of the $800 million package to be devoted to completing the park’s Phase II construction — which will focus on “play fields” for the remaining six acres of land, according to the DHA presentation.  

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While the final list of projects hasn’t been announced by the city, locals are hopeful it will be included. 

“What we’re just hoping is we have been planning and in development for so long that it would just be great if we could really start to have a sense of completion,” Granville said. 

The future site of Sun Valley Riverfront Park. July 2, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Melanie Thibodeau, the Director of Development for the Sun Valley Youth Center, is itching to get green space in the neighborhood. She said the kids who go to the youth center would greatly benefit from having a large playground or a field for youth leagues to play on. 

While she’s hopeful the park will be funded by the bond, Thibodeau said she’s not going to let up on drumming up support until she sees it on her November ballot. 

“I think with all things that are [receiving] public-based funding, if you look away for a second, you just need to stay with it,” she said. 

The Denver Housing Authority’s presentation said Phase I construction will be completed by the end of 2026. 

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Longtime Sun Valley advocate Jeanne Granville looks into the lot that will one day become Sun Valley Riverfront Park. July 2, 2025.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite



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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs

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Game Thread: Denver Nuggets vs Sacramento Kings. December 11th, 2025. – Denver Stiffs


Community Guidelines

Welcome to Denver Stiffs! We’re glad you’re here.

Denver Stiffs is a community where sports fans from all backgrounds gather to share their passion. We strive to create a fun and welcoming place for everyone to come fan with us. These guidelines help ensure that happens. Here’s the short version:

  • Be respectful in your interactions with contributors and fellow fans.
  • Don’t be a jerk, and don’t call other people jerks.
  • We’ll remove anything we see that jeopardizes our communities.
  • We ask that you do your best to keep the conversation to sports and primarily our favorite NBA team. Why? Because there are plenty of other sites where you can air your opinions about everything from politics to soup recipes.
  • You can help with that. If you see something that doesn’t align with our guidelines, let us know. Flag any comments or usernames that violate our guidelines so our community managers can review them.

These rules extend to our communities everywhere: in our comments, on social media, and in real life.

We do not allow any of the following:

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  • Personal attacks: This includes name-calling, insults, threats, hurtful comments about someone’s appearance, voice, or style, and all other forms of attacks. We want our communities to be welcoming and fun. Personal attacks are the opposite of that.
  • Attacks on staffers: It’s fine to critique a post, disagree with a take, or point out errors. We draw the line, however, at personal attacks (see above) about writers, editors, moderators, etc.
  • Discriminatory or derogatory language: This includes racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of discrimination.
  • Harassment: This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation; stalking; unwanted photography; inappropriate physical contact; use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes; and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Wishing harm on athletes: Don’t root for an injury, don’t root for harm to befall a coach or athlete. You can want someone to get fired or released, but please do not hope for bodily harm.
  • Misinformation and disinformation: Sharing demonstrably false information about news or world events, beyond the scope of reasonable sports opinion or analysis, can be harmful to our communities. These comments will be removed and may result in a suspension or a ban.
  • Illegal activity: Don’t promote, encourage, or make light of any kind of illegal activity, including DUIs, domestic violence, or sexual assault.
  • NSFW images and comments: Keep it PG-13, or you will be removed. This includes language and images that are sexual, violent, or generally offensive in nature.
  • Excessive profanity: Fans get worked up on game days, and we’re fans, too. We understand that. As a general rule, keep profanity to a minimum. Some communities prohibit profanity, so be sure to review guidelines for the individual communities you participate in.
  • Multiple accounts and throwaway emails: These are a signal that you’re not interested in being a productive member of our communities, and we do not allow it.
  • Trolling: We know it when we see it, and we’ll remove it. Don’t go to a rival team’s community for the sole purpose of riling up their fans, either. Moreover, you should never publish any private or personally identifiable information. Doxxing is strictly prohibited.
  • The “first post” rule: If you break any of these guidelines with your very first post or interaction, it signals to our community managers you’re just here to be disruptive. Violators may be banned, blocked, or removed.
  • Spam: We have a zero-tolerance policy on spam, which includes sharing links to illegal game streams or downloads. Spam will be deleted and spammers may be banned, blocked, or removed. 
  • Political commentary: Denver Stiffs is a site dedicated to the Denver Nuggets, not politics. There are many sites available on the internet to discuss politics, Denver Stiffs is not one of them. Please refrain from any political commentary while using our site.

Anyone who doesn’t follow these rules when engaging in our communities will at best be removed from the conversation, and at worst will end up banned from that community. These decisions will be made at the discretion of our community managers and other Mile High Sports personnel. Community managers and moderators have final say on interpretation of violating our community guidelines, and on all decisions resulting in a warning, suspension, and/or ban.

If you see any of these things happening in our communities, please flag it and it will be reviewed. You can also reach out via our contact page.



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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine

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Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/11-12/14 – 303 Magazine


When: Dec 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown: 

Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.





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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver

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Louisiana child rape suspect arrested in Denver


DENVER (KKTV) – A man out of Louisiana suspected of child rape is now in custody in Colorado.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force said they arrested 43-year-old James Connolly Tuesday morning in Denver.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Connolly was wanted by West Baton Rouge Parish deputies for first-degree rape of a child under 13 years old.

According to the U.S. Marshals, a full-scale investigation into the allegation was launched, and probable cause was found to file charges.

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After an arrest warrant was issued on August 12, they said Connolly was likely aware of the warrant and had fled the state.

On Monday, officials reportedly received information that he could be in Denver. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Service said the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force found Connolly working maintenance for a company near I-270 and York Street in Denver under the name “Alli” with a changed physical appearance.

Officials said Connolly was then positively identified and taken into custody.

“The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force – Denver, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Englewood Police Department, and Colorado Department of Corrections,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a release.

He’s currently in the Adams County Jail pending extradition back to Louisiana.

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