COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Flanagan Park in Colorado Springs is getting a major makeover this summer, funded by a $750,000 federal grant coordinated through the City’s Department of Housing and Homelessness Response.
The city will begin renovating the park near East Fillmore and North Prospect Streets this summer, with the project expected to be complete by January 2027. Planned improvements include a new basketball court, a new playground, and an ADA compliant walking trail with lights.
For members of the Papeton Neighborhood Organization board, the upgrades are long overdue. Rianne Lightfoot and Susan DiNapoli said they regularly use the park to host community events and have seen firsthand the limitations of the current space.
One time that comes to mind for Lightfoot is a Halloween event.
"We handed out candy under the gazebo here and luckily we had some camping lanterns that we strung around the gazebo, but just a couple of little lights with some people yelling for kids to come get candy was maybe not the best set up," said Lightfoot.
The need for lighting extends beyond seasonal events. Flanagan Park is the only park in Colorado Springs to have a rugby field. DiNapoli said the neighborhood's rugby team made the case directly to city officials.
"The rugby team actually came to the meetings and advocated for lights and bleachers," said DiNapoli.
And it isn't just the rugby team who want stadium lights or bleachers. DiNapoli and Lightfoot say it would be a great investment to also bring the community together.
Without lighting, the team loses practice time as the days get shorter.
"In October at 5 o'clock it's pitch dark out here and they can't even practice after work," said DiNapoli.
DiNapoli said strong community turnout at city meetings helped make the renovations a reality.
"When 150 community members show up to that meeting about the parks, it really lets the city know that we care about this neighborhood and we love this community and that we want change," said DiNapoli.
Accessibility is also a key part of the project. DiNapoli said the current park is not ADA accessible.
"It's a beautiful park, but it is not ADA accessible so the walking path all the way around will make it so that somebody in a wheelchair could enjoy the park as well," said DiNapoli.
The walking path would also have lighting. DiNapoli said there is one street light near the park.
For DiNapoli and Lightfoot, the renovations are ultimately about bringing people together.
"Doing this work in the parks and stuff like that just to bring the community together to get to know each other," said DiNapoli.
They also said they are looking for a bathroom of sorts at the park. Especially as more people watch the rugby games and want to cheer their neighbors on.
The whole list of renovations and upgrades, according to a City of Colorado Springs presentation at a townhall earlier this month, include the following:
- new ADA walking loop with lighting and benches
- new playground
- new standard sized basketball court
The following site amenity updates were also presented:
- pavilion
- restroom enclosure
- ADA parking stalls
- backstop removal
- bear proof trash cans
- existing benches removed
- new signage and existing signage updates
- new Dog waste stations
- new concrete fence on east property line
- irrigation modifications
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