COMMERCE CITY —Paradice Island reached capacity within a few hours of its official opening to the public as hundreds of families inundated the park, which is the city’s first ever outdoor pool and aquatics center.
“This water park enhances the image of the city 100 percent,” said Commerce City Mayor pro tem René Bullock. “Between Brighton and Elitch’s, this is the only outdoor pool, and it’s much more affordable than Elitch’s and bigger than the Brighton Oasis.”
The 2-acre, game-themed (hence the name) water park was designed for aquatic play more than traditional lap swimming. The park can hold about 550 people.
It features a 5,000-square-foot zero-depth-entry leisure pool, three water slides, a 250-foot lazy river with sprays and geysers, a 1,700-square-foot toddler pool, a 4-foot-deep activities pool for water basketball, a bathhouse with locker rooms, change rooms, a first aid station and a concession stand.
That park makes sense for the city of about 48,500, in which the median age is 30 and 33 percent of people ar under 18 years old (with roughly 11 percent under the age of 5, according to the U.S. Census).
Gloria Sanchez, 30, grew up around Commerce City and has lived there for the last five years. On July 10, she was waiting at the bottom of an inner tube slide, laughing with her daughter and talking about how Paradice Island is exactly what the city needed.
“I’ve been to a lot of water parks around the state with my nieces and nephews, and I feel like this one is like a miniature Water World or Elitch’s for the kids,” Sanchez said. “But it’s not nearly as congested.”
Bullock said Paradice Island employs more than 80 people, from lifeguards to general staff, and 75 percent of them are Commerce City residents, many of whom are teenagers working their first paid jobs.
Golden Triangle Construction began building the . Work was delayed for about six weeks due to the rain this spring; Paradice Island will be open (with reduced hours after Aug. 16) until the first weekend in September.
The opening of the water park marks an enormous milestone for the city’s after Commerce City voters approved a permanent 1 percent sales and use tax increase.
Money generated from the tax will go to the development and maintenance of five city projects — Paradice Island, , at 6060 Parkway Drive, a 24-mile widening of Tower Road from 80th to 104th Avenues, and the construction of three new community parks totaling nearly 40 acres.
“In August of this year, will be complete, and then we will open two additional neighborhood parks next year in the northern part of the city,” said city manager Brian McBroom. “These are absolutely transformational times for the city of Commerce City.”
The $137 million capital improvement program is being paid for in bonds. McBroom said the city took out $73 million last year and will borrow the rest next year, with intent to pay it back in about 30 years.
While those five projects have a promised, staggered completion deadline of Jan. 1, 2019, the city has added capital improvement goals in the same timeframe, including the Regional Transportation District’s 72nd Avenue commuter rail station for the North Metro Rail Line (projected completion in 2018), as well as more road widening on Colorado 2 and East 104th Avenue.
“It started with a plan: Five projects, five years and a 1 percent sales tax,” Bullock said. “And (Paradice Island) is the first result. This place goes so far beyond what we envisioned for our outdoor pool. I can’t wait to see what comes after this.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp
Paradice island
Where: Pioneer Park, 5950 Holly St., Commerce City
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Ranges from $2 to $7
Info: 303-289-3789
