La Raza Park becomes Denver's third historic cultural district: "it means a lot to this neighborhood"

At West 38th Avenue and Navajo Street sits La Raza Park. It's filled with history and nostalgia for many.

Richard Ascenzio is a longtime northside resident. He said the park has always been known as a community pillar.

"I've had friends have quinces here, seen weddings here, high school graduations, the whole nine," said Ascenzio. "This park goes way, way back before I was born, so yeah, it means a lot to this neighborhood, to me, to a whole bunch of northsiders that grew up here."

Monday night, Denver City Council members unanimously voted in favor of making the park a historic cultural district, now only the third in the city given the designation. The vote brought Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval to tears.

"Thank you for interviewing my community. Thank you for your diligence. Thank you for your patience and thank you for writing a beautiful historic application," Sandoval said.

The park was Denver's first municipally owned playground. In the 1900s, it was in the heart of the Italian community. As demographics shifted, it quickly became a landmark for the Chicano community through the 50s, 60s, and even today. The park has undergone several changes over the years in an effort to honor the park's cultural significance. In 2020, the council approved the name change from Columbus Park to La Raza Park. Council voting in favor of this designation means it'll preserve the park for years to come. It also means if any changes were to be made, the city would help oversee those.

"It's really important that we're telling and highlighting the cultural significance of La Raza Park, in particular, tonight because it is a rich, full history of both the neighborhood and the city as a whole," said Becca Dierschow, a senior city planner with Denver Landmark Preservation.

Ascenzio said this park is leaving an impact on the culture in Denver. It's a designation for future generations to admire.

"I just feel at home, this is home to me, ya know," he said.

Currently, the city of Denver is also working with other groups, like the Native American community, to preserve other historical sites.