The City of Colorado Springs is embarking on the development of a master plan for the enhancement of Stratton Neighborhood Park, per an announcement from the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department (PRCS). The first step in this journey will unfold at a neighborhood gathering slated for December 3, inviting local voices to contribute to the envisaged future of this historic park. The event, to be held at the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center from 5 to 7 p.m., seeks to lay a foundation of knowledge amongst residents by delving into the park's past, and simultaneously fostering a dialogue intended to surface community values and aspirations for the park's revitalization.
Since its acquisition by the city in 2021, PRCS has expressed a staunch dedication to preserving the historical essence of Stratton Neighborhood Park while also curating it to echo the current and future needs of the surrounding community, through this process they aim to ensure that the park's next form is indeed reflective of the residents it serves. According to the City of Colorado Springs, contributions from local citizens during the master planning exercise will critically influence the course charted for the park’s redevelopment.
Peering back into the chronicles of Stratton Park reveals that it was first acquired by Winfield Scott Stratton, known as W.S. Stratton, in the early 1900s and shortly thereafter dedicated as a public space in June 1902. The park initially christened “Cheyenne Park” and later referred to as “Stratton’s Park”, was originally adorned with a pavilion, bandstand, and a collection of rustic bridges over Cheyenne Creek. Yet, as the winds of time ushered in change, so too did the landscape of the park endure alterations, inclusive of a new pavilion and the relinquishing of parts of its original 20-acre span to developers.
The latter part of the 1960s witnessed the property's transition to the ownership of PEO International which re-purposed the grounds for its PEO Chapter House, muscling a commitment to uphold the park's natural allure, while housing PEO Chapter members there, until the city's purchase in 2021 brought it under public dominion once again. The tale of Stratton Neighborhood Park is one interwoven with the fabric of Colorado Springs' history, a tapestry that PRCS now intends to gently unfurl and stitch with new threads, ones spun from the collaborative efforts of its current stewards.
