The City of Colorado Springs has issued a Request for Proposals for the renovation of one of the city’s oldest public parks.
Located at 4540 Fenton Road on the southeast side of the city, the Panorama Park has served the residents of a primarily lower-income neighborhood for more than four decades.
But city officials say the park is underutilized because it has fallen into a state of neglect and is in need of a major renovation.
That renovation, expected to cost around $9 million, will see a number of facility upgrades at the 13.5-acre site, including the building of new basketball and baseball fields, as well as a walking loop.
Other aspects of the project will see the replacement of aging equipment, an interactive water spray area, large shelters for special events, and new bathroom facilities.
The upgrading could additionally include construction of a community garden as well as a fenced-off dog park.
The Panorama Park project was the subject of a study conducted two years ago by the Washington-based Urban Land Institute, which, according to city documents, looked at the upgrading as a “launching point to address an underserved community and their needs.”
Members of the Colorado Springs City Council recently voted to approve some $3.7 million for the project, with the non-profit Great Outdoors Colorado group, which uses the proceeds of the state’s lottery for park projects, kicking in another $350,000.
Additional funding is coming from a variety of public and non-profit sources.
Work could begin on the Panorama Park renovation sometime next year.
Submission deadline for the RFP is January 7.
By Garry Boulard
