Sky Park
a neighborhoood pocket park | multi-generational play | community interaction
A PARK AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S DOORSTEP
Sky Park at 88th Ave. & Santa Fe Dr. was a prioritized need for Thornton leadership in an underserved area of the city. The heavily engaged community composed of a mixed demographic strongly values spending time outdoors. Residents wanted a place to hang out, play and meet up with their neighbors and friends. We assisted in leading a community outreach program to hear the needs of the residents. Their input helped shape the design for their new park. The 2.3-acre pocket park boasts a contained 5-A-Side soccer pitch complete with boards and netting, open turf for picnics, and a shaded central plaza with lighted tiered seatwalls. The plaza space was designed as a ‘front stoop’ for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. The playground includes rolling turf hills, a zipline, net climbers, spinners, swings, and a hill slide - a little something for everyone. Areas of the park were planted with native grasses and vegetation to support the City’s Naturally Thornton campaign. Their initiative is intended to reduce the amount of turfgrass to key useable spaces while converting low-use spaces to low-water landscapes.
Our team completed the project on a fast track to meet the City’s scheduled opening. Our project scope included community outreach, concept design, schematic design, construction documents, bid support, and construction observation. Planning and design were completed within a 9-month period, due to project urgency and strong interest.
