Preliminary plan to redesign Antlers Park in downtown Colorado Springs revealed

Redesigning 150-year-old Antlers Park in downtown Colorado Springs to reduce loitering and camping by the homeless will take a step closer to reality Thursday.

The city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board will meet to consider a preliminary version of the preferred option to improve the park, located behind the Antlers Hotel.

Few people visit the park because of its somewhat remote location near a construction zone and railroad tracks in northwest downtown, and because it's frequented by homeless people who congregate, camp and sleep at the park.

The problem led authorities to install cables last December to close the park's picnic pavilion. The restroom building also is closed but still serves as shelter for the homeless.

According to City Council President Richard Skorman, the preliminary plan calls for, among other amenities, adding a permanent ice arena, a large children's play area, a dog park and a band shell.

"They have a pretty good game plan," Skorman said. "They're going to keep seeking public input. The hope is that the park can open up more to Cascade Avenue in front of the hotel, so that people can get better entry to it and the hotel can promote it as an amenity."

Skorman said he'd like to see work start soon -- once the project is approved by the parks board and the council -- and have it finished within two years.

The project, along with similar improvements at two other downtown parks -- Acacia and Alamo Square -- were intended to be financed by $2 million from excess tax revenue that voters approved to be kept by the city instead of refunded to them.

"But it all depends on how the pandemic affects the city budget," he said. "Depending on what happens, we may have to use the project money to balance the budget. But I don't think there's an appetite to go before the voters on this again. I think the project will happen."

Whatever the actual timetable, however, it appears the park's pavilion will remain closed until the project is completed.

A previous survey found that nearly 60% of respondents expressed some degree of dissatisfaction with the park.

But will homeless activity remain a concern after the park is redesigned? The park is near the Marian House soup kitchen, Catholic Charities and other services.

"The redesign will create an opportunity for more events," Skorman said. "So the park will be used more. We'll also have more people living downtown. The homeless population will gradually shift to the south end of downtown where the Springs Rescue Mission is expanding its services. We're also putting more police officers on the streets. The homeless will be welcome to use the park, but all of those changes should eliminate loitering and camping."

The park's pavilion was closed three months after authorities fenced off two pavilions at another troubled park, Dorchester Park, because of similar issues with the homeless. Still, it remains a popular gathering spot for the homeless.

"What we're going to do with that park is an entirely separate discussion that will take a long time to resolve," Skorman said.