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| Completion Date: | ongoing | ||
| Location: | Douglas County, CO | ||
| Description: | For several years, the last remaining parcel of parkland in Highlands Ranch has been a target of hope to provide a social center for the community, and to provide a picture of what a truly green multi-use community site could be. Design Concepts has served as a coach, designer, and facilitator to bring all of the numerous entities together to turn the dream into a vision and the vision into a plan. The park is now designed as a center for wellness, education, environment and community. Douglas County Schools will be building a magnet school based on environmental science and regional athletics. Colorado Sports will be building two indoor ice arenas, an indoor soccer and a hard court facility. Highlands Ranch Community Association will be providing agricultural uses from community gardens to an equestrian center. They will also have a gold education facility. Highlands Ranch Metro Districts and Douglas County will provide numerous competition quality, lighted synthetic turf multi-use fields for softball, baseball, and all field sports. A state-of-the-art year-round dog park and multi-generational playground completes the picture. What is more important is the manner in which social interaction and social consciousness blends on this site. Green means clean stormwater and minimal irrigation. Alternate transportation moves people throughout the park and brings children safely to the magnet school. Solar panels heat the buildings and all excess power is used to keep greenhouses warm and provide cheap power for the school. The greenhouses provide food for the school and flowers for the plazas. The buildings, parking, alternative transportation and Camden Yards style ballfield are all nestled along a town plaza which contains social and play activities for all ages. This town center park center radiates into all of the activities that make this place a center for socialization, athletics, environmentalism and recreation for this entire region. | ||
