COLORADO SPRING — The master plan process has begun Tuesday for the Norman “Bulldog” Coleman Community Park.
The master plan process will provide recommendations for the eventual design, development, and construction of the park.
As part of the process, the community will be engaged frequently to help identify and prioritize how to improve, program, and manage this land to best meet the needs of Colorado Springs residents both now and in the future.
Master plans are an exciting and important first step in developing a park… This signals to our community that a new park is on the way. Our city, and this part of the city in particular, has grown by leaps and bounds and is in need of additional sports fields and a new place for outdoor recreation. We look forward to working closely with community members and stakeholders through this master plan process to design and eventually build a place where we’re all excited and proud to come together to play.
Karen Palus, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services director
Located in Eastern Colorado Springs, the park is named after Norman “Bulldog” Coleman, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and passionate advocate for local business and philanthropy.
Prior to his death in 1994, Coleman chaired the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Military Affairs Council and the United Fund, a precursor to the United Way of the Pikes Peak Region.
The 70-acre park site is currently mostly undeveloped. It is adjacent to Sand Creek, as well as UCHealth Park, home of the Rocky Mountain Vibes baseball team, and Ragain Field, formerly the Switchbacks soccer stadium.
Acquired in 1995 by the city, Coleman Park is envisioned to function similarly to Memorial or John Venezia parks with sports fields and a universally accessible playground.
Among other things, the Coleman Park master plan will focus on trail connectivity, a potential offsite southern detention pond, and an overlook.
The master planning project is funded through voter approval of ballot issue 2B in the November 2019 election, which allowed the City to retain $7 million in excess of 2018 TABOR revenue for the predetermined park and trail projects citywide.
The total cost of the master plan is $247,000, and the process will be conducted by Colorado-based Wenk Associates and overseen by the PRCS department.
The plan is expected to be finalized in the spring of 2023 with construction to follow as funding becomes available.
