Due to ongoing uncertainties regarding the status of the Downtown Civic Campus, Greeley residents will have to wait a little longer to see a revitalized Lincoln Park, as the city council has put the project on pause.
The Lincoln Park Redevelopment Project is described by city staff as a key initiative in the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown Greeley. Rough estimates provided by Rich Flierl, the director of urban design practice at Kimley-Horne, suggest that the project could generate as much as $200 million in revenue for the downtown area after a complete renovation and the organization of continuous events at the park.
Plans for the new Lincoln Park include the construction of gathering pavilions, orchards, shade trees, lighted paths and a new amphitheater on the southeast corner of the park. The goal of this project is to enhance accessibility, improve events and strengthen connections between the park and surrounding downtown amenities.
Despite already having the $4.2 million needed for the first phase of the project available through revenue generated by the quality of life tax, the council paused the project on Tuesday.
The park project was originally part of the city’s Downtown Civic Campus design, which will be located nearby and looks to modernize downtown government facilities, including a new Greeley-Evans School District 6 Administration building and a new facility for the county’s court operations.
City officials decided to remove the park project from the package to reduce project costs. Overall, the park redevelopment is projected to cost $20 million. The city intends to source funding through the quality of life tax as well as grants and sponsors.
Most members of the city council, except for Councilman Dale Hall and Councilman Brett Payton, criticized the proposed design of Lincoln Park’s redevelopment, saying it’s too modern and not reflective of Greeley’s historical roots.
Hall provided his full support.
“I think what we are doing is bringing more people into the downtown area, and the entire downtown area should be ecstatic about that concept,” he said. “This just makes sense, and to me, this is an economic driver and an amenity to everybody that is in the city of Greeley.”
Proposed design for the Lincoln Park Redevelopment project. 9th Avenue runs along the bottom of the image, with 10th running at the top. (Courtesy/ City of Greeley)Councilwoman Melissa McDonald and Councilwoman Deb DeBoutez, however, said the designs were not appealing and criticized the lack of green spaces in the park. DeBoutez said she didn’t believe the design was complementary to what they had in mind for the Downtown Civic Campus.
“I like the concept of activating Lincoln Park and the amphitheater,” McDonald said. “But I don’t know, Lincoln Park is so beautiful, and looking at this picture, I don’t get that feeling. I just don’t think it looks pretty.”
Mayor John Gates asked city staff if a pause would be problematic for the project. Culture Parks and Recreation Director Diana Frick answered there were concerns about a loss of trust between the city and the residents. The city has already hosted seven community engagement events about the project, talking with thousands of residents, Frick said.
City staff presented the council with three options for how to proceed, including full approval of the project and a scaled-down first phase of the project, which would construct the southern portion of the design. After failing to reach a consensus on those other two options, the council decided to pause the project.
The city will revisit the park’s redevelopment at a later date, after county officials decide on whether they’ll relocate court operations and when the future of the Downtown Civic Campus is better established.
Though the county had initially said it would decide on the courthouse at the end of May, that decision is still pending.
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