Jimmerson: Beyond the Rhetoric - Building the Park Hill Golf Course

C. Benzel Jimmerson

Often rhetoric is able to drown out truth and change the narrative and the desires of communities are disregarded for motives not always matching the stated rhetoric. NE Park Hill is a Denver neighborhood with huge historical and social relevance to our community, but for the last several decades, the neighborhood has had limited economic and housing opportunities, losing two hubs of black-owned small businesses and stores when the Holly and the Dahlia shopping centers closed in the early 2000’s.

I recently spoke on a panel for work we did in Denver's 80205 neighborhoods as a part of the national BUILD Health Challenge. One of the other panel members was Dr. Jodi Cunningham who worked with leaders in Cincinnati's Avondale neighborhood, a neighborhood much like in NE Denver, which is mostly Black and Brown with inequitable infant mortality numbers. Dr. Cunningham spent hours digging in with the community to identify root causes and potential solutions. What arose was that the neighborhood’s high infant mortality was the result of inadequate housing, economic needs and access to health, especially as it related to food access and choices. These issues arise consistently across the country in communities of color as so many of them sit in “food deserts” and deserts of economic opportunity. Fortunately, Avondale’s story has a happy ending as a partnership between the community, the city and developers has announced the planned opening of a new 15,000 square foot grocery store in early 2022. https://www.wcpo.com/rebound/avondales-days-as-a-food-desert-are-numbered-new-grocery-store-set-to-open-in-early-2022.

Unfortunately, the story of NE Park Hill is still being written and it has the potential to be interrupted by special interests outside the neighborhood who have publicly denied that NE Park Hill is a food desert. They assert that the best way to improve the public health of the neighborhood is to create 155 acres of open space. I don’t disagree that the neighborhood needs new athletic fields, and playgrounds and the developer has already committed to at least 60 acres of parks and open space. Hundreds of conversations with the community including neighbors, churches, athletic organizations, business owners, etc. has asserted that NE Park Hill needs a grocery store, affordable housing, business opportunities AND quality open space. 302 opponents forgot to hear the other 3 areas of resident voice and needs.

We are now left with a question on the November ballot in Denver. One initiative will force NE Park Hill to ask the rest of the city for permission to bring their vision for the golf course to reality and the other will return that agency back to NE Park Hill and ensure that local land use issues stay local, like every other development in the City. I’m going to vote YES on 302 to ensure that the NE Parkhill community has the loudest voice in the future of the Park Hill Golf Course, as it should. We would not want folks in Cherry Creek vetoing community decisions in Five Points and vice versa.

Westside Investment Partners, the land's developer, has demonstrated their commitment to not only listen to, but also partner with residents of color. They have partnered with The Holleran Group a Black-owned community developer as co-owners and co-developers with deep history in NE Park Hill. Their combined vision is to create a model that can be replicated across the city, representative of true equity, community impact, and economic opportunity. All the foundations and resources are set to meet the needs voiced by the community and business leaders of color to build out a world class, carbon neutral, economic and housing opportunity zone. We just need your vote to allow that to happen. By voting YES on 302, you are protecting local communities' choices and prioritizing their voices in the future of their community.