After years of redevelopment, Sun Valley residents are slowly returning to public housing in a neighborhood once known as Denver’s poorest.
The monumental $450 million project aimed to create a mixed-income community, but for many longtime residents, it has been a painful journey filled with the loss of familiar homes and parks.
Numan Mahamed, who was relocated when he was just 15, is now 19 and has returned, but he finds that Sun Valley is no longer the same place he once knew.
“There was probably about four or five parks in Sun Valley back then, and that’s where most of my fondest memories growing up happened,” Mahamed reflects.
He notes that while there are a couple of new parks accompanying the recent housing developments, they simply don’t measure up to the vibrant community atmosphere he remembers.
Longstanding community members echo Mahamed’s sentiments, emphasizing the urgent need for a new, proper park to enhance livability in Sun Valley.
Despite the launching of towering new public housing developments, progress on a long-awaited riverfront park has stalled.
However, the upcoming bond package may inject new life and funding into this crucial project.
Sun Valley currently lacks access to adequate outdoor recreational spaces, with Denver Parks and Recreation listing only Rude Park and Weir Gulch Marina Park as city parks within its borders.
But many residents argue these spots fall short when compared to the amenity-rich city parks like Cheesman Park or Barnum Park.
Jeanne Granville, president of the Sun Valley Community Coalition, remarked, “There’s like a picnic table. There’s really nothing there.”
For a brief period, Fairview Elementary School brought relief to the community, providing access to its grassy field and playground.
Unfortunately, this reprieve was short-lived as Denver Public Schools closed the campus shortly after residents began moving back, closing off access to the space.
Some new housing developments include small playgrounds, but Granville insists these do not constitute a true park area.
In 2019, the Denver Parks and Recreation Department pinpointed Sun Valley, along with much of southwest Denver, as an area with a critical need for park space.
Plans for an 11-acre regional park adjacent to the Platte River have been in the works for years.
Residents are eager to see plans for a riverfront park that would stretch from 6th Avenue to 20th Avenue finally come to fruition.
The concept for the Sun Valley Riverfront Park dates back to 2017, when the Elevate Denver bond package allocated $2 million for park design, originally targeting a completion date of 2024.
Now, in 2025, the area is still just a dirt lot, as various obstacles have hindered progress.
One significant issue involved cleaning up the site from its previous use as Xcel’s Zuni Generating Station, which had processed coal and natural gas.
Granville noted that the design went through numerous iterations before receiving final approval from the larger community, further delaying the project.
A recent presentation from the Denver Housing Authority to the Denver City Council showcased designs for Phase I of the park that aim to include a playground, splash pad, event plaza, and gardens featuring native Colorado plants.
However, only around half of the planned park will be developed in this first phase.
Looking ahead, Riverfront Park is poised to receive additional funding as a high-priority project in the upcoming 2025 Vibrant Denver bond package.
Sun Valley residents are optimistic, having requested $20 million of the total $800 million in funding be allocated towards completing Phase II construction of the park, which would focus on developing “play fields” in the remaining six acres of land.
While the city has yet to announce the final list of projects for the bond, locals remain hopeful that their park will be included.
Granville expressed a desire for the neighborhood to see some sense of closure after years of planning and development.
“What we’re just hoping is we have been planning and in development for so long that it would just be great if we could really start to have a sense of completion,” she said.
Melanie Thibodeau, the Director of Development for the Sun Valley Youth Center, shares this sentiment.
She believes that a large playground or field for youth leagues would tremendously benefit the children who frequent the youth center.
Thibodeau remains hopeful that the park will receive the necessary funding from the bond but emphasizes the importance of maintaining momentum and community support until the project appears on the November ballot.
“I think with all things that are [receiving] public-based funding, if you look away for a second, you just need to stay with it,” she asserted.
According to the Denver Housing Authority’s presentation, Phase I construction is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.
image source from：denverite
