Denver's La Raza Park Improvements project survey closes Sunday, public meeting scheduled for March 14
Time is just about up for the community to weigh in on the future of a historic landmark in Denver.
La Raza Park, located in Denver's northside neighborhood, became the city's third historic cultural district last summer.
Now city leaders want to know what improvements people want to see in the park.
Through a survey, the city is asking community members about changes to the playground, basketball courts, ADA-compliant pathways, native landscaping and an irrigation system.
From the kiosko to the murals and sculptures, the history at La Raza Park runs deep.
It is also where students from a nearby micro-middle school, Embark Education, have their recess and lunch.
Students, like 12-year-old Dixon Yepez, use the park to play football and basketball almost daily.
"All the students at Embark come to this park almost every single day and it doesn't matter what the weather conditions are," said Dixon.
His dad Jorge Yepez says the park means a lot to his son.
"He comes here quite often during school and he talks about it a lot when he gets home," he said.
The park is just five minutes away from the school.
"We will always come to this park and we always have a fun time here," said Yepez.
The city of Denver wants others to be able to enjoy the park, just like Dixon.
That's why this survey was created to get feedback from community members on what improvements they want to see through a 5- to 10-minute survey.
"For me, I think maybe a redo of the playground because the playground has graffiti and it's very dirty," said Dixon.
Playgrounds paint the story of a community and La Raza Park is no exception.
The city wants to honor that history using the survey to make changes everyone approves of.
"The fact that they're improving the park is always good for any community," said Yepez.
Design plans will be developed this year with construction set for early 2025.
City leaders hope the improvements will highlight the park's legacy as a symbol of unity and a space where the Northside community can continue to thrive.
"This overall area has a lot of meaning to it and even though I wasn't a part of it, a lot of people who were live in this neighborhood," said Dixon.
The survey for the $1.9 million project is available in Spanish and English and will close on Sunday, March 3.
Funding sources for the La Raza Park Improvements project include the legacy fund, Denver Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Program, Elevate Denver Bond and Rise Denver Bond.
A public meeting will be held on Thursday, March 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Aztlan Recreation Center for those in the community interested in attending.
