Denver committee advances $3 million Acoma Street purchase for potential park
The committee action moves forward a proposed purchase of a scarce Civic Center-area parcel, but the full Council’s decision, appraisal basis, park plan and ongoing costs remain unresolved.
Denver’s Finance and Business Committee advanced a resolution Tuesday to purchase 1028 N. Acoma St. for $3,019,340, potentially preserving the Civic Center-area parcel for a city-owned neighborhood park.
The action was approved for filing, not documented as final City Council approval in the records available Wednesday. The committee’s official minutes show the purchase-and-sale resolution passed unanimously among members voting. The property is in Council District 10.
Denver has been seeking a neighborhood-park site in the area for at least 15 years, BusinessDen reported. The roughly 0.38-acre parcel was formerly a drive-thru credit-union branch. The city’s real-estate director told the publication that few undeveloped properties remain in the area.
The city has not set a park design, programming plan or opening timeline, according to the report. A dog park was discussed as a recommendation from the seller, not an adopted city plan. The owners had considered redevelopment options including retail and a single-stair residential building, BusinessDen reported. Developer Fred Glick and investors bought the property in 2024 for $1.8 million, according to the publication.
A separate $3,195,280 Parks Legacy budget action would rescind and appropriate money in the Parks Legacy Special Revenue Fund, then transfer it to the Parks Legacy Improvement Projects Fund for the acquisition. That funding step is separate from the resolution covering the purchase agreement. The committee minutes do not explain why the appropriation exceeds the purchase price by $175,940.
The publicly accessible Legistar matter page for Resolution 26-0999 identifies the buyer, seller and price and lists a July 8 Department of Finance and Parks and Recreation presentation. The presentation and resolution-request attachment were not accessible in the public record reviewed for this story. The available record does not state an appraisal value or date, describe due-diligence findings, disclose closing terms or a closing date, or provide projected operating, maintenance or security costs.
The next step is the full City Council’s consideration of the filing. The committee record shows the acquisition has advanced, while the park’s cost, design and schedule remain to be determined.