The 155-acre former Park Hill Golf Course was recently sold to the Westside Investments, LLC for $24 million. This land represents one of the last large open spaces that could be developed in the Denver area but this will not come without some opposition from residents who live near the course. Andrew Klein, president and founder of Westside, stated the company's intent to listen to the community to decipher what the best use of the land will be.
Former owner of the land, Clayton Foundation, was an early childhood education nonprofit that attempted to sell the golf course back to the city of Denver in 2017 before the golf course operator, Arcis Golf, decided to keep operations going. However, after 88 years of business, the course closed at the end of 2018 due to the City of Denver’s plan to construct a 30-acre stormwater retention area on the northeast part of the course to assist with flood control.
This deal did not come without trouble though as Arcis Golf filed suit claiming its “right of first refusal” on a sale of the property. Additionally, Clayton signed a conservation easement which imposed certain development restrictions that include keeping an 18-hole golf course on the property in exchange for $2 million from the city. This means that if Westside wants to develop the land, it would need to be released from the conservation easement and begin negotiations with multiple city agencies and receive ultimate approval from the Denver City Council.
Potential uses for this land are affordable and diverse housing options along with open space and recreational uses. Westside was also the developer of the 70-acre Colorado Heights University Campus formerly known as Loretto Heights. Additionally, the company paid $16.5 million with plans to demolish a 214,991 sq ft warehouse on a 6.5-acre site and build a five-story apartment complex on 50 S. Kalamath Street, pending rezoning efforts.
