“see more” truncated my prior comment…. Need skater input on the skatepark design & check the on construction. Need a public meeting on the skatepark design ASAP!
- David Riordon
City leaders call it a massive investment, adding a splash pad, skate park, gear library, and a widened South Platte River Trail.
DENVER, Colo. — For generations of Denver kids, Ruby Hill Park has been a rite of passage — the place where many learn to ski and snowboard for the first time at the city’s winter rail yard. Now, the park and the South Platte River corridor next to it are set for a combined investment of more than $15 million in upgrades.
$12.4 Million Park Makeover
Denver Parks & Recreation has confirmed a $12.4 million Phase III project at Ruby Hill Park, funded through the DPR (Denver Parks and Recreation) Legacy Fund and Capital Funds.
Planned improvements include:
- An adventure sports Gear Library facility overlooking the rail yard, with year-round equipment rentals, storage, a community room, and classroom space.
- A multiuse sport court for basketball, futsal, and more.
- A new splash pad, designed as a winding creek-bed play area.
- A beginner-level skate area and expanded bike playground.
- Additional trails, trees, and native plantings to support Denver’s “Game Plan for a Healthy City.”
According to the project sheet, construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2025 and wrap up by late summer 2027
Sarah Quist, a landscape architect with Design Workshop, said the skate park ranked highest in community feedback, which led her team to dedicate more space and features to make it “a meaningful space.”
$3 Million South Platte Trail Upgrade Up for Vote
Just beyond Ruby Hill, City Council is weighing another project: a $3,034,623 contract with HDR Engineering, Inc. to design major upgrades to the South Platte River Trail from Mississippi Avenue to Dartmouth Avenue. The contract is set for a final vote on August 25, 2025.
If approved, the three-year design phase would plan a 22-foot-wide trail cross-section, featuring a 12-foot ADA-compliant concrete path, lighting and wayfinding, and a new west-bank connection from Grant Frontier Park to Florida Avenue — finally giving residents west of the river a safe, direct way into Ruby Hill
What’s Next
Together, these projects represent one of the most significant park and trail investments in southwest Denver in years.
“This phase right here is a pretty massive investment,” said Owen Wells, Assistant Director of Parks and Planning, noting that the city must balance Ruby Hill’s upgrades against needs across its 260-park system.
If timelines hold, neighbors could see the Ruby Hill Park improvements completed by late 2027, while the South Platte River Trail designs would extend through 2028,
