New playgrounds, a dog park and a bike skills park are among several additions coming to Dove Valley Regional Park as part of an $18 million expansion project that began March 1, according to a news release from Arapahoe County. 

The 52-acre park, located at 7900 S. Potomac St. near the Denver Broncos Training Camp, will nearly double in size as an additional 40 acres will be developed over the next year, per the release. 

The park was annexed into the City of Centennial in 2022, said Allison Wittern, the city’s communications director, via email. The $18 million project includes $3 million from the city, she said. 

The construction will occur in two phases, with the first phase focusing on athletic field upgrades, additional parking, a new shade pavilion and playgrounds, and a new multi-use community lawn, according to the county’s website. The dog park and bike skills park will be located on the undeveloped 40 acres to the east of the existing ball fields. 

Construction for phase one is slated to last until spring of 2024. The construction will take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Portions of the park will be closed and the athletic field programming will be suspended from this spring through the fall of 2023. 

Some sections of the park and the east parking lot will remain open to the public during the construction period, according to the county’s website. The multi-use trails along East Broncos Parkway and South Chambers Road will mostly remain open but will have occasional closures. 

There will be signs to show residents which areas are accessible when they visit, per the release.  

“Our parks are the heart of our community,” Arapahoe County District 2 Commissioner Jessica Campbell-Swanson said in the release. “Upgrading the facilities and amenities in our parks will help more people spend time outdoors, stay active, and build stronger relationships with their neighbors.” 

Phase two of the park expansion project will involve creating additional youth fields, a concession building and a lighted championship field with artificial turf, built-in seating and shade structure. The timeline of phase two is still being determined, per the website. 

According to the release, the Dove Valley Regional Park improvements “are directly funded through the Arapahoe County Open Space Sales and Use Tax.” 

The county’s website states that in 2003, voters approved a resolution imposing a 0.25% County Open Space Sales and Use Tax, which is equivalent to 25 cents per $100 spent, on the “sale of tangible personal property at retail and the furnishings of certain services” within the county. 

The tax funds open space sites, improvements, programs, and services throughout the county. It was reauthorized permanently in 2021, per the website. The county said, in the release, that 50% of the tax collected is given back directly to cities and towns to support open space and recreation programs.

“By investing in our parks, we are investing in the future of our county and a healthy quality of life for our residents,” Campbell-Swanson said in the release.   

Those who are interested in learning more about the park expansion project can visit: arapahoegov.com/dovevalleymp. Residents who have questions or comments about the project can also call (720) 874-6540 or email open_spaces@arapahoegov.com.