Park Hill Park Opens

One week before election day, city leaders cut the ribbon to open Park Hill Park. Guests at the event were handed maps of the area, which also included potential future plans for a playground, dog park, and athletic fields, all contingent on funding. And with the passage of the Vibrant Denver Bond, there’s now $70 million to be used for upgrades to Denver’s newest park.

Currently the park is open dawn to dusk with paths for walkers, runners, and dogs on leashes.

At the ribbon cutting, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talked about the journey to open the area.

“This is both a celebration of what is and a call to action for what can be. When you look out at this open landscape, there is a great triumph from all the voices in this crowd who, for years and years and years, said, ‘I have a dream of turning this golf course into a public park.’ And today, that dream is realized.”

Johnston, speaking at the event during the government shutdown, talked about the park as an example of how government does work when “residents raise their voices” and say what they want in their neighborhood. Two ballot measures led to the city acquiring the land to turn it into a public park.

Denver City Councilmember Shontel Lewis said the goal moving forward is to ensure the community remains at the center of the design and buildout of Park Hill. She also mentioned trees on the site where loved ones have left ashes: “We want to make sure that as a part of this design that we’re memorializing, that for the community, that space is sacred.”

The community is invited to share ideas for what should be part of the park plan moving forward at parkhillpark.org.

A New ‘People-Focused’ Homeless Campus in Aurora

The Aurora Regional Navigation Campus at 15500 E. 40th Ave., Aurora, is now open. The former Crowne Plaza Hotel has undergone renovations to serve as a support center for people experiencing homelessness.

The center offers shelter, healthcare, employment services, and a pathway to permanent housing. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said the campus “will become a model for how to provide a compassionate response to homelessness that leaves no one out in the cold but also holds people accountable and encourages them to engage with service providers, take control of their lives, be active members of the workforce, and move beyond shelter and into their own housing.”

The shelter is open to anyone who needs a warm, safe place to stay, with three housing tiers offered. Tier one is a large room filled with cots and basic essentials. The second tier offers more privacy with pods and storage, and is available if someone works with a case manager and is actively seeking employment. Tier three offers a private room for those in the workforce. Six hundred people can be housed at the location.

There is also a 24-hour gym on site, computer access, and a pet area for people who come to the center with a dog. A walk-through metal detector is located at the one main entrance. Weapons and drugs are not allowed inside.

The center is operated by ADVANCE Pathways and was funded by the City of Aurora; Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties; and the State of Colorado.

Denver Mayor Johnston’s 2026 Budget Adopted

The $1.66 billion 2026 budget for the City and County of Denver was finalized in November. The budget represents a 6% decrease from the previous year and is being called the most conservative budget in 15 years.

Core services for residents are protected in 2026, including public safety, recreation centers, pools, and trash pick-up. When the budget was finalized, the city lifted a hiring freeze.

New Development in Lowry

A townhome complex will be built on one of the last pieces of undeveloped residential land in the Lowry neighborhood. Winston Wall, owner of Wall Custom homes, purchased the 1.2-acre lot at 79 N. Rampart Way at the intersection of Academy Blvd.

Twenty townhomes are planned for the site with groundbreaking in early 2026 and completion of the project in 2028. Prices will start at $1.5 million.

Also in Lowry, BusinessDen reported the closed Tavern property at 7401 E. 1st Ave. has been sold with plans to split the 13,000-square-foot building that will include a classroom and recording studio, a music school for kids and adults, a cafe, and a restored Soiled Dove music venue downstairs.

Times Up for Drivers with Expired Plates

The Denver Police Department is in the middle of a one-month enforcement period focused on expired vehicle registrations and expired temporary plates. Drivers who wait to renew may face a $95 fine.

During a similar campaign last year, there were 656 citations issued.

DPD offered some important reminders:

• Temporary tags have no grace period after expiration.
• Vehicle registrations have a 30-day grace period.
• New vehicle registrations must be done in person.
• Renewals can be done online or at a kiosk.

DPS SchoolChoice Opens in December

Denver Public Schools moved up its annual SchoolChoice enrollment window to give families more time to prepare for the 2026–27 school year. Round 1 will run from Dec. 2, 2025, through Jan. 20, 2026.

The district said the earlier timeline responds to parent feedback and is intended to better align with families’ planning needs, especially for students entering key transition grades of kindergarten, sixth, and ninth. With enrollment declining, DPS is also aiming to streamline seat assignments and reduce waitlists.

Results will be emailed in February, a month earlier than in previous years.