Highland Park May Get Makeover Soon!

Highland Park, which is located between Gold and Silver and High and I25, is becoming a hub of activity, and the park could soon receive a much needed makeover!

Adopt-A-Park and Saturday In The Park: First Saturday of every month at 9 am—The city simply does not have enough resources to keep the park in pristine condition, so our board decided to adopt the park to help keep it looking clean and tidy. On the first Saturday of every month at 9 a.m., a board member goes to the park and cleans up trash and weeds. Please join us each month! All you need is a pair of gloves.  

“Saturdays in the Park” will be held in conjunction with these cleaning events. Our first event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 5th. Join us for hoola hoop fun—a hoola hoop making workshop. August brings Bhava Yoga Studio (520 Central SE) to the park for a ½ hour of free yoga.

History—When Huning Highlands was a newly developed subdivision, Highland park was the  neighborhood’s gathering place. The park extended to the east and had at least one wading pool and a bandstand. The log cabin, in which the press club is currently located, was built in 1903. Charles Whittlessey, who worked for Fred Harvey, designed the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar hotel while living in this log cabin. I25’s construction split Highland Park, and while we can’t change the park’s proximity to the highway, we can improve the park’s blueprint and amenities.

Proposed Improvements—Over the past year, the neighborhood association has been prioritizing park improvements and meeting with Councilor Benton’s office to devise a funding strategy. Possible  improvements include replacing and moving the play equipment and creating a gathering spot with a gazebo and amphitheater seating. Additionally, more seating and trash cans have been requested as well as trees and landscaping on the frontage road to the east of the park. Finally, we’d like to create a children’s interactive butterfly and hummingbird garden at the south west end of the park.

Funding—Councilor Benton’s office has located money to trim the trees in the park but must first consult a design team for the other changes. Once the design team has been hired, they will meet with the neighborhood to talk about the desired changes. We would like to have the neighborhood involved in the design process so that we can re-create a community gathering spot for our historic neighborhood.

Contact—Please contact Amberley Pyles at apyles505@msn.com with any questions or comments.

Priority List for Renovations at Highland Park

1. Trim the trees. Perform a large-scale tree maintenance program similar to what has been done at Roosevelt Park. This should be done before spring growth begins, which is why it is listed as the first priority.
2. Children’s play area: Move the playground area to the east side of the sidewalk that leads up the hill to the Press Club. Surround it with some kind of low fencing. More lighting in this area. If possible, have the play area designed for multiple age groups.
3. Turn the current children’s area into a gathering spot with more seating (picnic tables, gazebo), grilling areas, and lighting. This area could potentially be a small performance area with the edge turned into amphitheater seating with a raised central platform. It should be a multi-purpose community gathering space. Items two and three should be done simultaneously. If there is insufficient funding, then the play area should be replaced first.
4. Landscape the dirt strip between the sidewalk and Locust Street, on the east side of the park, with a focus on large trees and beautiful plants with mulch. This will draw the eye and ear away from I-25 and serve as a buffer to the road and highway. Strategically plant new trees throughout the park that will eventually mature to the same tall, graceful character as the existing trees in this historic park.
5. Update and increase all the lighting and site furnishings era appropriately (lighting, fencing, ramp sidewalk handrail, picnic benches, trashcans, recycling receptacles)
6. Explore options for Locust at the east side of the park. Is it possible to vacate this or turn it into a one way with parking on the park side? This street has a very low volume of traffic, and it dead-ends a block to the south. This could be an active recreation area and reclaim part of the park that was lost to the construction of I-25. There could be a path around the perimeter of the park in this area, or an active game area, such as horseshoes, volleyball, bocce ball, or skateboarding.
7. Xeriscape the north side of the park and create intimate seating areas. This will encourage neighborhood residents and patrons of the new hotel to use this side of the park.
8. As a neighborhood association, we have adopted the park, are raising money to do an interactive butterfly/hummingbird garden around the current children’s area, and would like to repair the river rock retaining walls. These are small dollar items, and we’d appreciate any funds available to move them forward.