It’s official, Denver is getting it’s next major park. CBS News Colorado reported this would come to fruition ahead of the now official announcement on Wednesday.

Over the past 7 years, the defunct Park Hill Golf Course has inspired turf wars between open space advocates and developers.

Now, the 155-acre property is back in the hands of the city after Mayor Mike Johnston entered a land swap. The developer gets property to build out in Adams County, and the city gets to create a brand new regional park.

In a land swap deal with developers, the former Park Hill Golf course will become a city park, and residents who have been battling to make this a reality say it is a dream come true.

“I kind of can’t believe it,” said Amy Harris, a longtime advocate for the park and a member of Save Open Space Denver.

The park, which was once a golf course where even some of the best golfers like Tiger Woods had set foot in, will now be a space where residents can enjoy the open space.

For Denver resident Mike Fernandez, it will be a place where he will be able to continue to bird watch.

“There were a few that I don’t see anywhere else, like songbirds,” Fernandez said.  “I was really trying to keep track of that to see the impact if there were development here they would be gone.”

Fernandez says he has tracked 18 different bird species near and around the golf course.

The property is returning to the people after years of advocacy by leaders such as former Mayor Wellington Webb, organizations such as Save Open Space Denver and a number of community members. 

“I mean, it’s the best-case scenario,” Harris said. “It’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning.”

The city looks to work with the community to jot down their long-term vision for the space and design plans for the near future. 

“I think the battle was really bringing folks to the table about the commitment to green spaces and understanding the impacts and the long-term to our climate to long term sustainability,” said Councilwoman Shontel Lewis of District 8. 

It was all possible through an acre-for acre land exchange agreement, where Denver will trade undeveloped, industrial property near the airport for the Park Hill property — which is currently owned by Westside Investment Partners.

“There was an internal transfer of about $12.7 million within the city from parks and rec. to the airport that comes from the Park’s Legacy Fund for the acquisition,” Mayor Johnston explained. “The trade is made between Denver and the current owner for this site without any cash payment.”

In 2023, voters rejected a plan to develop the property with housing. 

Johnston reassures Denverites the city will continue to work toward developing affordable housing nearby, while maintaining community jewels like this soon-to-be park.

“We know there’s a housing shortage in Denver,” Johnston said. “We look to add more housing stock; we want to make sure that housing stock is affordable to people living in Denver right now.”

This historic deal in Denver now becomes the largest single city acquisition of private land for a public park.

“What we need to do today is celebrate that we maintain the Park Hill Golf Course in Denver for Denver,” Webb said. 

Johnston now looks to work with Adams County commissioners and Denver City Council to approve the land exchange and begin the process. City officials say the new park is expected to be open to the public by this summer.

“I cant wait for the time where we can all gather together in the park when it’s really park and get to celebrate together,” Harris said.

Sharon Magness Blake, known throughout Colorado as one who “Gives so selflessly to those who need it most,” was honored as the 2025 Citizen of the West at a dinner Monday, that raised some $647,000 for the National Western Scholarship Trust.

An equine enthusiast — four of her Arabian horses have gained fame as Thunder, mascot of the Denver Broncos — entrepreneur and philanthropist, Magness Blake has spearheaded events that have raised over $100 million for dozens of organizations, including Volunteers of America, Denver Council of Boy Scouts of America, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Denver Health Foundation, the National Repertory Orchestra and the University of Colorado Foundation.

She founded, with Jean Galloway, Western Fantasy that for 30 years was VOA Colorado’s signature fundraiser, raising $35 million for VOA’s mission of feeding the hungry, providing emergency shelter and offering human service programs designed to enrich the mind, body and heart. VOA’s former chief executive, Dianna Kunz, showed her appreciation for Magness Blake’s generosity by offering the invocation that preceded dinner.

Western Fantasy always began with Magness Blake riding Thunder around the perimeter of the National Western Event Center as Lee Greenwood, either in person or via video, sang “God Bless the USA.”

So it was only natural that an adaptation of that tradition would be part of the Citizen of the West dinner, which also was held in the National Western Event Center.

Just six weeks into recovery from back surgery, Magness Blake gingerly mounted Thunder to make the red-carpet ride from the event center’s paddock area, site of the pre-dinner cocktail reception, to the stage-side table shared with her husband, retired attorney and former Breckenridge mayor Ernie Blake — and a host of friends.

As she rode in, a video played of Greenwood and members of the military singing “God Bless the USA.” Later, in a video salute to Magness Blake, Greenwood joined other close friends such as Garth Brooks and Michelle Sie Whitten in singing her praises.

“Sharon and Ernie are two of the best human beings on planet earth,” Brooks said. “She truly embodies the spirit of the West.”

Magness Blake acknowledged her health in her acceptance remarks.

“In the last two years I’ve had some serious health issues, so I am very grateful just to be here,” she said. “I’m just a horse girl who grew up in the concrete streets of Philadelphia” who attended her first National Western Stock Show 38 years ago and instantly became enamored of all that it stands for.

Since then, she has become a trustee of the show and member of its $150 million Honoring the Legacy Capital Campaign committee.

“What a great and glorious evening it is to honor our friend Sharon Magness Blake,” said capital campaign chair Pete Coors, who also served as chairman of the Citizen of the West steering committee. “Where there’s thunder, there’s lightning and you are our lightning.”

The 1,000 guests included the governors of Colorado and Wyoming, Jared Polis and Mark Gordon; Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who thanked the honoree for giving him “One of my childhood delights,” seeing Thunder gallop across the field at Mile High Stadium whenever the Broncos scored a touchdown; and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Also:

• Paul Andrews, who is soon to retire following 15 years as the National Western’s president/CEO
• Former Citizens of the West Dick and Eddie Robinson
• Kelly Brough, president/CEO of the Fitzsimons Innovation Community
• J.J. Ament, president/CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and wife, Maggie, who chaired the Citizen of the West Arrangements Committee in 2015 and 2016
• 2025 Arrangements Committee Chair Jennifer Jones Paton
• Miss Rodeo America Callie Mueller, Miss Rodeo Colorado Sierra Southerland and Miss Rodeo Wyoming Dusty Miller
• Dr. Gregg LaBerge, director of the Denver Crime Lab
• Political consultant Katie Behnke
• Dr. Lorenzo Trujillo
• Rico Munn, former superintendent of the Aurora Public Schools who is now vice president/Metro Denver Engagement and Strategy for Colorado State University
• Attorney Holly Shilliday, managing partner of the Colorado office of McCarthy & Holthus
• Robert and Judi Newman. He founded J.D. Edwards and now owns and manages a venture capital company, Greenwood Gulch Ventures. She served on the Citizen of the West Steering Committee
• Brandis Becky, a 20-year Steering Committee member who purchased a table to honor the memory of her late mother, Anita Becky, who had been active in the National Western Stock Show since the early 1960s when she and her husband, the late Dr. Joseph Becky, started raising Angus cattle, buffaloes and quarter horses on their ranch in rural Colorado.

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Associated Press

Houston Rockets (26-12, second in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (24-15, fourth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -2.5; over/under is 232

BOTTOM LINE: Denver hosts the Houston Rockets after Jamal Murray scored 45 points in the Denver Nuggets’ 118-99 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Nuggets are 16-10 in conference play. Denver is 6-4 in one-possession games.

The Rockets have gone 17-8 against Western Conference opponents. Houston leads the NBA with 48.6 rebounds per game led by Alperen Sengun averaging 10.4.

The Nuggets’ 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 fewer made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Rockets average 113.3 points per game, 2.4 fewer than the 115.7 the Nuggets allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is shooting 51.9% and averaging 18.7 points for the Nuggets.

Sengun is scoring 19.3 points per game with 10.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Rockets.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 122.3 points, 47.7 rebounds, 31.2 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.

Rockets: 7-3, averaging 114.3 points, 46.7 rebounds, 20.9 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.7 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).

Rockets: Jock Landale: out (personal), Tari Eason: day to day (injury management), Jabari Smith Jr.: out (hand).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.