Residents of southwest Denver’s Overland Park neighborhood have a new amenity and better access to the South Platte River after Denver Parks and Recreation finished work on Pasquinel’s Landing Park late last year.
“It’s awesome. We’re really excited about all the improvements,” said “None of the rest of the park was being used aside from the playground.”
Park users are still waiting on an outdoor adult fitness center that should be installed this spring, but the work has already activated the park. The fitness center is funded through a grant from the Trust for Public Land.
The new version of the park — at 801 W. Evans Ave. — includes easy access to the river and the Platte River Trail, and a grassy area that is good for small events. Parks and Rec also created an inlet that brings water in away from river.
“In this case, it’s a safer way for smaller children or anyone to get down next to the water without having to be on the bank of the river itself,” said Michael Bouchard, assistant director of capital projects for Denver Parks and Recreation.
Prior to construction, it was hard to tell the park abutted the river. But after about 700 dump trucks of dirt were removed, the river is a much more active space at the park. The Overland Park Neighborhood Association used the park for a winter solstice event last month.
“The park before didn’t have much of an identity,” Bouchard said. “The river wasn’t part of it. We tried to create a way to embrace it. We addressed it in a simple and not overly programmed way.”
The park is the latest among and improve five parks that touch up against it.
Pasquinel’s Landing — named for a character in James A. Michener’s novel “Centennial” — cost $1.5 million.
The parks department has broken ground on Grant Frontier Park, which should be complete by November. buried at the edge of the river. Weir Gulch and .
Pasquinel’s Landing, however, was a relatively smooth project, and residents say they had good input on what the park became.
“I think they did a good job,” said Overland Park Neighborhood Association vice president Ronnie Crawford. “There were compromises made.”
Some trees were lost as a result of the work, and the neighborhood lost the playground. Owen said she hopes the playground can return when funding is available, but she noted that one is planned for Grant Frontier Park, which is also in the Overland Park neighborhood.
Crawford said he could see the new amenities further increasing home values in the neighborhood and he hopes that real estate agents advertise that when showing homes in Overland Park.
Owen said the new parks go
“It’s going to be used a whole lot more, and I hope it brings more people,” Owen said. “It’s really sad when you have a park that isn’t being used.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or @joe_vacc
