Lowry Redevelopment Park and Open Space System

Park and open space planning and design for the mixed-use redevelopment of a former Air Force Base

Closure of the 1,900-acre Lowry Air Force Base in central Denver allowed the Cities of Denver and Aurora to redevelop the site as a mixed-use community organized around 230 acres of parks and open space. Wenk Associates was responsible for master planning and final design for the phased buildout of the community’s primary park and open space system.

The park system was conceived as a series of three parks and open spaces that offer a broad range of recreational opportunities for the new community’s residents. The system is designed around a restored and daylighted Creek corridor that also must function as an integral part of a regional and local stormwater system for flood detention, conveyance, and water quality treatment. The system design is intended to honor Denver’s historic Park design traditions, yet incorporate contemporary approaches to water conservation, green infrastructure, and emerging recreational patterns of use.

Westerly Creek Dam Fillets is a unique overlook and gathering place. This dominating man-made landform is a memorable place for viewing the mountains, the Westerly Creek Dam wetlands, and the Sports Complex below.

The Sports Complex is one of Denver’s premier sports parks, serving a wide range of adult and youth sports activities. The park is organized around “Sports Boulevard”, a spine providing a vehicular access road, parking, and pedestrian access close to each field.

The Great Lawn is a community park reminiscent of many of the City Beautiful era parks in the city. It was designed with a hierarchy of landscape types: 50% of the park is native, non-irrigated landscape; several natural and wetland areas border the site, cleaning any stormwater pollutants from the Town Center; and passive areas at the perimeter create a series of native prairie landscapes.

Project Team:

Lowry Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Wenk Associates (Lead Consultant) – Site Planning, Landscape Architecture
Bennett Wagner & Grody – Architecture
BRW, Inc. – Traffic Engineering, Drainage
ERO Resources Corporation – Ecologist, Natural Resources
Frasier & Halbe Engineering Company – Civil Engineering, Survey
Goodson & Associates – Geotechnical Engineering
Olin Partnership – Urban Design
Quinby Clune – Graphic Design
Roos Szynskie, Inc. – Electrical, Mechanical Engineering

Subsequent Phases Design
Wenk Associates (Lead Consultant) – Site Planning, Landscape Architecture
Bennett Wagner & Grody – Architecture
Deb Keammerer – Native Area Revegetation Recommendation
Ground Engineering – Geotechnical Engineering
ERO Resources Corporation – Ecologist, Natural Resources
HydroSystems*KDI – Irrigation
MKK Consulting Engineers – Electrical Engineering
Reizan Structural Engineers, LLC – Structural Engineering
Roos Szynskie, Inc. – Electrical, Mechanical Engineering
Shen Milson & Wilke, Inc. – Audio Systems
URS Corporation – Civil, Structural, Roadway, Water Resources Engineering

Subsequent Phases Contractors
American Civil Constructors, Concrete Express, ECI Construction, Goodland Construction, Richdell Construction, T2 Construction