COMMERCE CITY — City Councilwoman Tracey Snyder remembers how accommodating the officials were at the old Mile High Greyhound Park on her high school graduation day.
Betting was suspended and no dogs raced after the track’s decoy “rabbit” at least while graduates were being handed their diplomas, Snyder said.
“We didn’t even have to wait until the rabbit went by,” said Snyder, a 1984 Adams City High School graduate.
Dog racing is long gone from the city, and Snyder is convinced that longtime residents are eager to have a say on how to best redevelop the old Mile High.
“For a long time, people have been wondering what is going to happen to the park, and I think people are very interested in having some input,” Snyder said. “I think it’s going to generate a lot of excitement.”
The park’s reshaping will be the focus of a series of six public meetings, the first to be held Sept. 8.
Built in 1946, the greyhound park held its first race in 1949 and was a fan favorite for decades.
But as more sports venues opened and competition for entertainment dollars expanded, the racetrack fell on hard times.
Racing at the park ended in 2008, and the city bought the 65-acre parcel near East 62nd Avenue and Dahlia Street for about $3.3 million Aug. 2.
The track’s location in the heart of Commerce City and its proximity to major highways makes it a prime spot for mixed-use development, said Mayor Paul Natale.
“The potential redevelopment of this property is one of the most significant opportunities to come to the city in years,” Natale said.
Officials see the property as a connection between surrounding residential and retail properties. They also promise to let residents have a hand in the park’s redevelopment.
“We encourage citizens to be part of the process in determining what this property one day might look like,” Natale said.
Each public meeting will include an open-house component at which residents can learn more about the property and the redevelopment process. There will also be a formal presentation and small group discussions in which ideas for redevelopment will be shared, said city spokeswoman Michelle Halstead.
City officials hope to have a redevelopment plan for the park property in place by May.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
Weigh in
The Commerce City Urban Renewal Authority will hold its first meeting on the Mile High Greyhound Park redevelopment from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 8. at the Commerce City Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Drive. Other meetings are scheduled for Sept. 13, Oct. 4, Oct. 15, Nov. 8 and Nov. 16.
For more information on the meetings or to submit a comment on the redevelopment plan, visit .
