New 80-acre park is heart of new Stapleton community. It blends Denver's traditional (urban forest) park design with the sites high plains prairie ecological niche. The park central 3500 foot long promenade links activity site together and separates native and managed landscapes fron north to south. The regional playscape which has been mobbed since the day it opened, in cross-section is a fantasy version of the colorado landscape--from rocky outcrops, to foothills and meandering streams. Its' fixed feature elements include purple mounds (moguls), clouds (that rain), climbing boulders, musical chimes and drums, kompan climbing structures , and sand and water play. The playscape is part of the central gathering area which also includes playable water (interactive founntain), areas for small and large envents and concerts, and a cafe to provide 'social lubrication". Other animating activity areas are a sledding hill, model boat basin, and large turf areas for useable for organized or informal play.

Central Park is jsut one element of Stapleton 1100 parks and open space system--all connected by a local and regional trail network. Formal park entrances tie into signalized crossings on the surroundeing gridded street network. Once in the park the trail and pathway system provides many choices for circulation--from the braod promenade to 10' wide paved pathways to crusher fines trails that allow jogging around the periphery of the park or through the natural area praiire mounds. Three parking lots near major activity areas provide minimum parking (about 250 spaces total. Parkside street parking provide the majority of visitor parking without taking up valuable park space.

The first impression is one of articulated spaciousness as intended and inspired by the parks setting on a former airport site. The architecture and site furnishings use traditional materials in contemporary forms and are consitent and fit contextually with other Stapleton public and private landscape materials. There is a miriad of seating choices form benches to boulders, seatwalls to moveable table and chairs. There may be more sightly women than men in the park simply because mothers tend to be the ones who bring children to the park and playground. The park is currently being managed by the metropolitan district which contracts maintenance through the master community association. the current level of maintenance is high, especially for the regional playground. The park will eventually be transferred to the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, which will need additional resources to maintain the current level of maintenance. While there is no obvious security presence, the community has already shown tremendous symbolic ownership and reports maintenance or misuse to the district regularly.Vehicles are kept to the perimeter and are well enough screened that they do not dominant the space.

Families with small children using the regional playgrond are the major user group thus far (the park opened in September 2007, However, the boat basin has been used by the local model yacht club for regattas, pick-up flag football, frisbee, and soccer games are occuring regularly on the playing fields, the sledding hill was movbbed last winter even thought he park was not open yet. The runningg paths are regullarly used by joggers and a marathon training groups meets at the site weekly to train together. users have been good about keeping their dogs on leash in the park with a few exceptions. (Stapleton has a 3 acre dog-park elsewhere in the community). The park includes an Alzheimer's Memory Grove and Garden that is a comtemplative spot for reflection.

Incredible local pride being shown for the park based on all the positive praise it has received from residents and visitors alike. It is really too early to acurately characterize complete use of the park, but it is generating a lot of "smiles per gallon." Most users come as families, but a lot of socializing takes place--particularly at the playground. Although the concession facility is not up and running for food service yet, it has already been used for birthday paries, meetings and the Rotary Club's pancnake breakfast. Once the food service is in place, it is anticiapted to become a regular "great good place." There are no statstics comparingthe ratio of locals to tourists, but anecdotally, lots of people are coming good distances to use the park.

This nomination may be premature give the fact the Stapleton Central Park has only recently opened, but it has generated so much pride and excitement in the community i think it already qualifies as a great place in the it's infancy.