Former Denver Mayor Pitches Youth Sports Complex at Park Hill

"I'm sure some people in the city might say I'm meddling," former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb laughs as he explains his vision for Park Hill Park, the 155-acre former golf course recently acquired by the city in a land swap spearheaded by Mayor Mike Johnston.

Webb, Denver's first African-American mayor, served from 1991 to 2003. He blasted out a press release this morning, May 23, highlighting what he believes to be a problem for youth athletes: Webb says that kids in an array of sports are too often forced to travel to exurbs or other cities to compete.

"There seems to be a trend that the only kids that play in Denver are non-competitive," Webb says. "The kids that have any competitive skills at all have got to go out of Denver."
For parents of child athletes, even regional travel can pile on the expenses, according to Webb.

Park Hill Park is in the midst of its first planning phase right now, with residents asked for opinions on the park's future via events and online surveys. Webb is pushing his vision by sharing it with the community at events as well.

The former mayor envisions a multi-sport complex with a track and field area, a hockey rink, soccer fields, courts for basketball, volleyball and lacrosse, as well as pickleball courts and a nine-hole golf course. "We can have it all," he insists, noting that a nine-hole golf course is likely to increase nearby residential property values.

Of course, as the city faces budget cuts and a $50 million shortfall in annual sales tax revenue, Webb is aware that construction of such a complex would be an uphill climb financially. But he has an idea for that, as well.

"There's an opportunity to do some type of public-private partnership here to do the build-out on some of those sporting facilities," he says. "I haven't fleshed that out all the way, but I think that all the sports teams are asking for something from the city, so why wouldn't the city start asking something from the sports teams?"

Webb could see a Broncos-sponsored football field, an Avalanche-sponsored ice rink, a Nuggets-sponsored basketball court — but he demurs when it comes to baseball. "I wouldn't put the Rockies' name on there; they're going to lose a hundred-some games again," he says. "I know the first thing people are going to say: We have no money. Well, let's get creative."

In response to Webb's idea for a youth sports complex, Denver Parks & Recreation says the following: "DPR is familiar with the proposal and are currently open to any and all ideas. We encourage all Denver residents to send us their dreams for this space just like Mayor Webb has."