Construction crews moved into Ida M. Cotten Park in Salt Lake City's Liberty Wells neighborhood on Monday, shutting down the small park at 1815 S. 300 East for a rebuild that isn't expected to wrap up until spring 2027. For families in the surrounding blocks, the closure knocks out more than just another patch of grass — it's the only dedicated children's neighborhood playground south of 1700 South outside of the much larger Liberty Park.
According to KUTV, the park will be temporarily closed for construction improvements that include a new playground, new plantings and irrigation, park lighting, and improved walkways. The work is funded through Salt Lake City's Parks, Trails, and Open Space General Obligation Bond, an $85 million measure that 71.3% of city voters approved in November 2022 to acquire, improve, and renovate public lands over the next two decades, according to Salt Lake City Public Lands. City bidding records reviewed by ConstructConnect show that contractor selection wrapped up before Monday's closure, kicking off an active construction phase estimated to run six to twelve months.
A Park Built From Public Input
The rebuild is part of Salt Lake City's Reimagine Neighborhood Parks initiative, a GO Bond program meant to invest in underused green spaces in every one of the city's seven council districts, with the city pledging at least one neighborhood park upgrade per district. Salt Lake City Public Lands ran two rounds of public input starting in June 2024, gathering feedback through online surveys and focus groups. Residents specifically asked for more swings, shade, improved safety, and preservation of mature trees, the station's report notes — priorities that Landmark Design, the regional landscape architecture firm hired to work with city project managers on both Cotten Park and nearby Madsen Park, folded into the construction blueprints.
Dustin Wiberg said the upgrades will help strengthen the park as a beloved community gathering place for years to come, per the same account. He added that the improvements will create a more vibrant space while preserving the park's mature trees and character. Before the closure, the park's amenities were fairly modest: a basic play structure with monkey bars, a fireman's pole, a sand play area, swirled cement pillars, and a small basketball court with walking paths, according to Joel Carson Realtor.
The Woman Behind the Park's Name
Ida M. Cotten was a longtime Salt Lake City resident who raised her children as a single mother in a home that once stood on the property, according to KUTV. After she passed away, her former home site was converted into public parkland in her honor, a bit of neighborhood history that longtime Liberty Wells residents have kept alive even as the site evolved into a city park, per Salt Lake City Public Lands.
Part of a Bigger District 5 Push
Cotten Park's closure is not happening in isolation. It's one of three active GO Bond park projects underway in City Council District 5, which covers Liberty Wells, Ballpark, and Central Ninth, alongside ongoing playground renovations at Liberty Park and redesign work at Jefferson Park, according to Salt Lake City's District 5 office. That cluster of nearby projects means several green spaces in the same part of the city are being reworked around the same time.
While Cotten Park is closed, the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office has pointed residents toward alternative options, including Liberty Park at 600 E. Harvey Milk Blvd., Herman Franks Park at 1351 S. 700 East, Westminster Park at 986 E. 1700 South, and Fairmont Park at 1030 S. Sugarmont Dr. It remains to be seen how smoothly Liberty Wells families adjust to those farther-flung options over the coming months, and whether the project stays on track for its targeted spring 2027 reopening.
