 Glendale Colorado at Night Glendale, Colorado is a town that’s come just about as far as any town could. In the late 1970s and ‘80s, this urban community was best known for its adult entertainment district—one that had grown seedier and less desirable over time. Despite it’s proximity to Denver, Glendale itself had slipped into social decline, mired with several years of ineffective city leadership. But all that has changed. Just ask Paula Kaltezas, a 29-year old attorney who moved to Glendale in 2004.
Kaltezas lives directly across the street from the new rugby stadium at Infinity Park, which opened in September 2007
as the first phase of the new 20-acre park that has been reinvigorating her neighborhood. Now she regularly fields phone calls from friends to see if she’s scored any extra Glendale Raptors tickets. Her weekends are often planned around catching a rugby game. And her group of friends, most of whom had never seen a live rugby game before, can now confidently toss around rugby terms like “try” or “ruck.”
Not only are Infinity Park’s new stadium, fitness center, and soon-to-befinished playing fields and green space helping revitalize this once gritty section of Glendale, but it’s been instrumental in creating a very real sense of community for residents like Kaltezas in a city that is both culturally diverse and densely populated. It’s also the result of much careful planning and creative thinking on the part of Glendale’s city leaders.
Geographically, Glendale is somewhat unique. Only half a square mile in area, it’s surrounded on all sides by the city of Denver and is home to nearly 5,000 residents with a median age of 28. Nearly every resident of Glendale lives in multifamily units. In fact, there are only three single-family homes in the entire community. Its urban-island location also means Glendale belongs to Arapahoe County, one of the largest counties in Colorado.
“We get no tax support from Denver,” says Jerry Peters, Glendale’s city manager. “And in the past the relationship between Arapahoe County and the city of Glendale wasn’t always as strong,”
A turnover in city government leadership several years ago marked the start of the ambitious, well-planned Infinity Park project. It strengthened relationships with neighboring communities and local governing bodies; provided much-needed recreational space for its citizens, who literally had no backyards; and significantly improved Glendale’s reputation. Even today, landmark strip joint Shotgun Willie’s still bustles at its South Colorado Boulevard location and is a reminder of Glendale’s past reputation as an adult entertainment mecca, a characterization city leaders hope to shake for good now that most of their new park has opened.
With new leadership came years of community luncheons, town meetings, and surveying residents who pointed overwhelmingly toward a need for recreational and open green space. While many parks throughout the nation are designed with a single purpose in mind, Glendale’s leaders took the unusual step of combining four different uses in this contiguous two-block area.
Infinity Park is home to the city’s government center, housing City Hall,the police department, as well as the fire department. There’s a newly constructed 35,000-square-foot recreation center— operated in partnership with the YMCA—that has a full-size basketball court, plenty of cardio and strength equipment, yoga classes, fitness and nutrition instruction, and afterschool programs for children. The membership fee for Glendale residents is only $8 a month, making it affordable for those with modest income. The Infinity Park plan also includes a 30,000-square foot international conference center that provides ballroom and meeting space and fills a niche for corporate conference space in the nearby area.
The remainder of the park is home to the recently opened 5,000-seat rugby stadium and 10 acres of passive and active park space, scheduled for completion this fall. Park space will include public gardens with water features, a pavilion and picnic area, and trails and walkways.
“Glendale set out to create this long-term vision,” says Don Brandes, president of Design Studios West, an architectural landscape and urban design consultant involved in the project. “Many park and recreation projects that are designed for public use are expected to be revenue-neutral. Glendale did just the opposite. They wanted to create economic development and an international venue.” Which means Glendale’s decision to become the Rugby Capital of North America was no accident.
“It was up to us to find a sport that wouldn’t cost a lot to play and would appeal to our diverse population,” says Michael Dunafon, mayor pro team and chairman of the Glendale Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustments. “With rugby, you don’t need anything but a pair of shorts and a ball.”
And with USA Rugby headquartered only 30 minutes away in Boulder, Colorado, Infinity Park’s rugby stadium instantly became a natural draw for training, playoffs, and national and international tournaments. USA Rugby held their Men’s Club Division I, II, and III as well as the Super League National Championships there in May. ESPN and other cable television networks provided coverage, furthering the community’s national exposure. By design, the rugby stadium acts as an economic engine for the community by filling nearby hotels and restaurants, a very welcome benefit in a sputtering economy.
Making this plan a reality in a densely populated community is no small feat. Several blighted buildings needed to be demolished, including three apartment buildings that were well past their prime on the Denver side of the boundary. Infested with drug use and crime, the apartment buildings received frequent visits from the police. They were also eyesores for employees and visitors to Glendale’s City Hall, located directly across the street.
A Roman Catholic seminary located on the proposed site complicated matters further. Clergy of the Theatine Order built the seminary in 1952, but much of it—including a separate building used for a school that had been unoccupied for several decades—had since fallen into disrepair. “We thought of converting that building,” says Mayor Larry Harte. “But it was so badly deteriorated that it was easier to knock it down,”
The process to secure land from the religious order was arduous as well. The Theatines made such decisions only once a year in Rome, and Glendale officials were unable to accelerate the process. Once the sale and transfer were approved, the priests made significant repairs to the main seminary building and began moving back in. Landscaping that had once been overgrown has been tended, which means plenty of valuable mature trees now compliment the open-space side of the park.
The $40 million project also meant securing a network of financial funding. Glendale officials received $400,000 in grants from Great Outdoors Colorado (funded by the state’s lottery program) for open-space usage. The Arapahoe County Open Space Acquisition Fund provided $3.38 million, and an additional $500,000 in open-space grants also came from the county level. The residents of Glendale also passed a 6.75 percent lodger’s tax on hotel stays.
“This open-space program has brought the county together like nothing else,” says Susan Beckman, Arapahoe County commissioner. “It’s like the little engine that could. Glendale was smart. They did their homework up front, and they came to us and said, ‘We have a deal for you,’ and we couldn’t turn it down. They had the energy and support already in place.”
The success of the project also hinged on seeking contractors with proven expertise in their fields, including Turner Construction Company, brought in to build the stadium; and Design Studios West, Inc. of Denver, hired to do the master planning and landscape architecture for Infinity Park.
For Paula Kaltezas, that vision now means community movie nights in the summer; a place to walk her two dogs, Sabrina and Bella; a new fitness facility for workouts; and the expectation of an increase in her home value. “As a city, we’ve been trying to embrace this idea of an urban village, and this project is really bringing that to light,” she says. “I can’t say enough nice things about it. It has been tremendous for Glendale.
 Download Article Not only are Infinity Park’s new stadium, fitness center, and soon-to-befinished playing fields and green space helping revitalize this once gritty section of Glendale, but it’s been instrumental in creating a very real sense of community for residents like Kaltezas in a city that is both culturally diverse and densely populated. It’s also the result of much careful planning and creative thinking on the part of Glendale’s city leaders.
Geographically, Glendale is somewhat unique. Only half a square mile in area, it’s surrounded on all sides by the city of Denver and is home to nearly 5,000 residents with a median age of 28. Nearly every resident of Glendale lives in multifamily units. In fact, there are only three single-family homes in the entire community. Its urban-island location also means Glendale belongs to Arapahoe County, one of the largest counties in Colorado.
“We get no tax support from Denver,” says Jerry Peters, Glendale’s city manager. “And in the past the relationship between Arapahoe County and the city of Glendale wasn’t always as strong,”
A turnover in city government leadership several years ago marked the start of the ambitious, well-planned Infinity Park project. It strengthened relationships with neighboring communities and local governing bodies; provided much-needed recreational space for its citizens, who literally had no backyards; and significantly improved Glendale’s reputation. Even today, landmark strip joint Shotgun Willie’s still bustles at its South Colorado Boulevard location and is a reminder of Glendale’s past reputation as an adult entertainment mecca, a characterization city leaders hope to shake for good now that most of their new park has opened.
With new leadership came years of community luncheons, town meetings, and surveying residents who pointed overwhelmingly toward a need for recreational and open green space. While many parks throughout the nation are designed with a single purpose in mind, Glendale’s leaders took the unusual step of combining four different uses in this contiguous two-block area.
Infinity Park is home to the city’s government center, housing City Hall,the police department, as well as the fire department. There’s a newly constructed 35,000-square-foot recreation center— operated in partnership with the YMCA—that has a full-size basketball court, plenty of cardio and strength equipment, yoga classes, fitness and nutrition instruction, and afterschool programs for children. The membership fee for Glendale residents is only $8 a month, making it affordable for those with modest income. The Infinity Park plan also includes a 30,000-square foot international conference center that provides ballroom and meeting space and fills a niche for corporate conference space in the nearby area.
The remainder of the park is home to the recently opened 5,000-seat rugby stadium and 10 acres of passive and active park space, scheduled for completion this fall. Park space will include public gardens with water features, a pavilion and picnic area, and trails and walkways.
“Glendale set out to create this long-term vision,” says Don Brandes, president of Design Studios West, an architectural landscape and urban design consultant involved in the project. “Many park and recreation projects that are designed for public use are expected to be revenue-neutral. Glendale did just the opposite. They wanted to create economic development and an international venue.” Which means Glendale’s decision to become the Rugby Capital of North America was no accident.
“It was up to us to find a sport that wouldn’t cost a lot to play and would appeal to our diverse population,” says Michael Dunafon, mayor pro team and chairman of the Glendale Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustments. “With rugby, you don’t need anything but a pair of shorts and a ball.”
And with USA Rugby headquartered only 30 minutes away in Boulder, Colorado, Infinity Park’s rugby stadium instantly became a natural draw for training, playoffs, and national and international tournaments. USA Rugby held their Men’s Club Division I, II, and III as well as the Super League National Championships there in May. ESPN and other cable television networks provided coverage, furthering the community’s national exposure. By design, the rugby stadium acts as an economic engine for the community by filling nearby hotels and restaurants, a very welcome benefit in a sputtering economy.
Making this plan a reality in a densely populated community is no small feat. Several blighted buildings needed to be demolished, including three apartment buildings that were well past their prime on the Denver side of the boundary. Infested with drug use and crime, the apartment buildings received frequent visits from the police. They were also eyesores for employees and visitors to Glendale’s City Hall, located directly across the street.
A Roman Catholic seminary located on the proposed site complicated matters further. Clergy of the Theatine Order built the seminary in 1952, but much of it—including a separate building used for a school that had been unoccupied for several decades—had since fallen into disrepair. “We thought of converting that building,” says Mayor Larry Harte. “But it was so badly deteriorated that it was easier to knock it down,”
The process to secure land from the religious order was arduous as well. The Theatines made such decisions only once a year in Rome, and Glendale officials were unable to accelerate the process. Once the sale and transfer were approved, the priests made significant repairs to the main seminary building and began moving back in. Landscaping that had once been overgrown has been tended, which means plenty of valuable mature trees now compliment the open-space side of the park.
The $40 million project also meant securing a network of financial funding. Glendale officials received $400,000 in grants from Great Outdoors Colorado (funded by the state’s lottery program) for open-space usage. The Arapahoe County Open Space Acquisition Fund provided $3.38 million, and an additional $500,000 in open-space grants also came from the county level. The residents of Glendale also passed a 6.75 percent lodger’s tax on hotel stays.
“This open-space program has brought the county together like nothing else,” says Susan Beckman, Arapahoe County commissioner. “It’s like the little engine that could. Glendale was smart. They did their homework up front, and they came to us and said, ‘We have a deal for you,’ and we couldn’t turn it down. They had the energy and support already in place.”
The success of the project also hinged on seeking contractors with proven expertise in their fields, including Turner Construction Company, brought in to build the stadium; and Design Studios West, Inc. of Denver, hired to do the master planning and landscape architecture for Infinity Park.
For Paula Kaltezas, that vision now means community movie nights in the summer; a place to walk her two dogs, Sabrina and Bella; a new fitness facility for workouts; and the expectation of an increase in her home value. “As a city, we’ve been trying to embrace this idea of an urban village, and this project is really bringing that to light,” she says. “I can’t say enough nice things about it. It has been tremendous for Glendale.”
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