River North Park

Virtually empty of people just a few years ago, the South Platte River Valley north of downtown Denver is projected to have 20,000 residents by 2035, nearly 20 times its current population.

To provide this burgeoning community with a local park, The Trust for Public Land acquired a 2-acre trucking facility near the South Platte River— located within the “River North” or “RiNo” neighborhood—in March 2011 and conveyed it to the Denver Parks and Recreation Department. Combined with adjacent donated and public properties, the parcel is now a 8-acre park and part of the South Platte Greenway.

This exciting project, supported by Great Outdoors Colorado and the City and County of Denver, occurred during the Great Recession and would not have been possible without opportunities created by that challenging time—a rare opportunity to acquire, restore, and protect a substantial riverside property.