Monroe Park lease clears another hurdle

Next step full City Council on Monday.

March 19, 2014; 11:01 AM • by Richard Hayes

The RTD is reporting that the leasing of Monroe Park is moving towards reality as it unanimously cleared committee on Tuesday. Ultimately the lease would turn the park over to the Monroe Park Conservancy Board for $1 a month for the next 30 years with the intention of making $6 million worth of improvements.

Although the committee had hesitations on the makeup of the board, those hesitations weren’t enough to change the vote.

Opponents of the lease idea have characterized it as a “privatization” of the park that would weaken city control over the park’s trees and rules governing how events are held there.

City officials and the conservancy have said the park, the city’s oldest, will remain a public space – a much improved one.

“It’s a city park,” said Chris Beschler, deputy chief administrative officer of operations. “It will remain a city park.”

Critics said the city could fix up the park without leasing it out.

“It’s really, really a sad thing that we’re willing to sell our city off for nothing,” said Caroline Cox. “And that we can’t even maintain our own parks.”

Matthew Stanley, a representative of the Fan District Association, told the committee that the group supports the idea.

The Monroe Park lease is scheduled to be before the entire City Council this coming Monday.