DENVER, CO – Denver’s Montbello neighborhood celebrates a newly opened 5.5-acre park that features rock climbing, artwork, and enhanced wildlife habitat scenery.

Community leaders hosted the official opening of the Montbello Open Space Park and the grand opening of the ELK Education Center on Wednesday, at East 46th Avenue and Albrook Drive, near Peoria Street and Interstate 70 in the heart of the North District. is from Denver.

The open space project restored 4.5 acres of undeveloped parkland, designed to mimic the native shortgrass prairie ecosystem, park officials said. Green infrastructure techniques improve stormwater flow, improve water and environmental quality, and encourage wildlife habitat growth in the arid urban landscape.

The open space features native play areas, a rock climbing rock funded by The North Face, and artistic elements designed and built by Chevo Studios.

“The creation of natural open space dramatically increases the opportunities for outdoor recreational and environmental education for the entire community,” said Happy Haynes, executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation.

The ELK Education Center will have indoor and outdoor multi-purpose spaces for educational programming, office space and storage, park officials said. The building was designed to complement the landscape with the textures and colors of the surrounding restored meadows.

“The Montbello Open Space & ELK Education Center will transform this neighborhood, providing an underfunded and diverse urban community with environmental, educational and health benefits for many generations to come,” said Loretta Pineda, Executive Director of ELK.

“The project has brought together diverse and very committed supporters from many sectors – government, energy, conservation, and outdoor recreation business and industry. It shows that together we find common ground in the work we do to uplift our youth and our community. . “

The Trust for Public Land organization purchased the 5.5-acre property in 2012 to secure the site and prevent it from becoming a 12-story commercial building. The land was transferred to the city in 2014 with funds raised by the ELK organization and Denver Parks and Recreation.