Youth Education Center Breaks Ground at Montbello Open Space Park
Published on June 09, 2021
Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) Happy Haynes, Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore (Dist. 11), Trust for Public Land (TPL) Director Jim Petterson, and the Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) board, staff and youth celebrated the official opening of the Montbello Open Space Park and groundbreaking for the ELK Education Center in Montbello. The 5.5-acre open space park and education center site is located at East 46th Avenue and Albrook Drive, near Peoria Street and Interstate 70 in the heart of northeast Denver's Montbello neighborhood.
ELK, TPL and DPR have worked together to transform a once neglected property into a natural open space and outdoor learning laboratory. The Montbello Open Space and Education Center will serve as a home for ELK and as far northeast Denver’s community epicenter fostering science, stewardship, and outdoor recreational activities.
“The creation of the natural open space significantly increases outdoor recreational and environmental education opportunities for the entire community,” said Happy Haynes, Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation. “The education facility will provide greatly needed programs that introduce underserved youth and their families to nature all within a 10-minute walk of their homes.”
The open space project restored 4.5 acres of undeveloped parkland designed specifically to mimic the native short-grass prairie ecosystem; employs green infrastructure techniques to improve storm water flow; improves water and environmental quality; and improves wildlife habitat in this arid urban landscape. The open space features native play areas as well as a climbing boulder funded by The North Face. The Open Space was designed by Mundus Bishop in partnership with Anderson Hallas Architects and constructed by Sky Blue Builders and Colorado Total Maintenance. The art features on the site were designed and constructed by Chevo Studios.
“The Montbello Open Space & ELK Education Center will transform this neighborhood, providing an under-resourced and diverse urban community environmental, educational, and health benefits for many generations to come,” said Loretta Pineda, Executive Director of ELK. “The project brought together diverse and highly committed supporters across so many sectors – government, energy, conservation and business and the outdoor recreation industry. This shows that together, we find common ground in the work that we do to raise our young people and community.”
The ELK Education Center will have indoor and outdoor multipurpose areas for educational programming and youth and family engagement, office space and storage. The building’s architectural character is contemporary in form but also contextual with the immediate landscape of the Montbello Open Space Park. The building will be a welcoming community feature, while being a modest model for environmental design. It will connect with the textures and colors of the surrounding restored prairie. The building creates an open inviting place for the community. The building is designed by Page Architects and will be constructed by Turner Construction.
Working with DPR, TPL purchased the 5.5-acre property in 2012 to secure the site and prevent it from being developed into a 12-story commercial building. The land was transferred to the City and County of Denver in 2014 using funds raised by TPL, ELK, and DPR. Those interested in donating to the ELK Education Center or youth programs can find more information at http://elkkids.org.