Coal Creek Park

The thriving Colorado town of Erie renovates a small park in its historic downtown to create a central community gathering hub for residents and visitors.

Over three decades ago, Coal Creek Park was constructed as a youth ball-field complex with informal parking areas and a bermed creek edge. Over the last decade the town of Erie has experienced tremendous growth. Its historic downtown has become a central hub that draws in residents from throughout the more suburban developments for entertainment and community activities. The town desired an improved downtown destination for their modern community needs for recreation, leisure, and festivals while still capturing the historic qualities and small town feel of Erie. 

Working with the Town and the community, Wenk Associates led the master plan and design to renovate the 7-acre existing park into flexible event space for performances, festivals, markets, and informal gathering. The final design includes a new splash pad that doubles as a space for a temporary ice rink in the winter months, a new nature-inspired playground with rope elements, inclusive features such as a low disc swing and an experiential musical trail, flexible event space and an open lawn for festivals and informal gatherings, and a custom pavilion designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects. Sitting adjacent to Coal Creek, the park serves as a nexus between the downtown and natural open space.

The playground with its custom-built butterfly structure is dedicated to Maddie McDaniel who was only weeks old when she passed. Erie Parks & Recreation and the design team worked closely with her family and their non-profit, Maddie’s Bows, to create a place to honor her memory and the memory of other children who left the world too early.