Park Hill Golf Course - Community Benefits Agreement
As reported in 2021, approximately 10,000 neighbors within ½ mile of the Park Hill Golf Course (PHGC) provided input on how the development of the PHGC could benefit the local community. As a part of this process, DMCI facilitated neighborhood conversations known as Dialogue Circles as part of its Community Voice work.
The Dialogue Circles generated a call to action:
Let those who are already living closest to the PHGC decide what is the greatest benefit to the community.
Goals For the Year
This year, with funding from The Rose Community Foundation through June 30, 2022, DMCI is once again supporting neighbors of the PHGC by inviting them back to the table to take action in the creation of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).
Acting as a backbone organization, DMCI will neutrally support the CBA Task Force in their work toward:
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Understanding the current context of the PHGC neighborhood.
2
Learning what a CBA is and how it functions.
3
Creating a plan to successfully negotiate the CBA with Westside Investment Partners.
FAQ
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A Community Benefits Agreement is a contract between a developer and community-based organizations representing residents' interests. The agreement spells out the benefits the community will receive in return for supporting the developer's project in their neighborhood.” It often includes requirements for local hire practices, inclusion of affordable homes (rental or owned), park and recreation space, etc. A CBA generally assures more equitable development, particularly for those neighborhoods experiencing displacement and gentrification. In this case a CBA will be negotiated between Westside and a community entity (TBD). The City and County of Denver has no role in the CBA; this will be a private agreement.
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This is a growing group of community leaders from around the area impacted by the Golf Course, including Northeast Park Hill, North Park Hill, etc. It includes individuals, businesses, faith organizations, nonprofits and others. The Task Force is meeting every few weeks to recruit additional representative members and to receive technical advice on creating Community Benefits Agreements from experts. Membership requires that the individuals live, learn, work, worship, or play within the impacted neighborhoods and that, in good faith, they presume development.
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This work is based heavily on the DMCI 2021 Community Voice Report for the PHGC.
Other opportunities are being developed including community conversations with specific segments of the area (seniors, schools, youth, etc.), ‘Open House’ style gatherings, surveys, etc.
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DMCI has secured private funding from the Rose Community Foundation that provides for a professional and neutral facilitator, food/snacks for meetings, stipends for participants' time and expertise, meeting space, etc. This funding is available through June and private funding for the work beyond that is being secured now.
The only participation from the City is to provide technical expertise on land use and planning issues, as they do for any Denver constituent.
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The CBA Task Force will rely on your participation, as a neighbor, to provide thoughts on what will benefit the community. As those opportunities are developed, they will be publicized via DMCI channels, social media, partners, email, etc. Regular updates will be provided regularly through those same channels.
In these meetings, the CBA Task Force is creating legal strategies to assure a successful CBA negotiation, as such, the community isn’t well served at this stage by sharing the strategies publicly. The CBA Task Force meetings are private for this reason. However, to ensure transparency, regular updates, syntheses, and community engagement are vital. Please watch for updates from DMCI. If you would like additional information, please contact Terrell Curtis, neutral facilitator and 30 year Park Hill Resident, at terrell@dmcimpact.org