The City of Northglenn, Colorado, incorporated in 1969, is a community of 6.5 square miles, with a population of approximately 31,500 residents located eight miles north of downtown Denver. Surrounded by other established and growing municipalities, Northglenn has become a landlocked city and is rapidly approaching built out status. This situation ill affords the City with the opportunities to benefit from development related improvements created by new businesses and residential housing projects, growth factors that usually give support to the development of new neighborhood parks and the preservation of open spaces. Realizing the importance and value of public parks and open space, the City embarked on an aggressive, publicly supported multi-million dollar renovation of one of its largest and oldest non-athletic parks. E. B. Rains, Jr. Memorial Park, renamed for a fallen police officer in 1985, is an aging 39-acre park that had not undergone any comprehensive or significant improvement in its 34-year history. In addition to high public use, the park is located adjacent to the civic center complex comprised of City Hall and the Northglenn Recreation Center, and is a destination point for many area schools, eldercare facilities and those providing services to the disabled community. The City?EUR??,,????'???s goal in this project was to initiate a significant rehabilitation of this highly impacted and utilized regional park and, upon its completion, assure its citizens one of the finest public parks available in the Denver metropolitan region. The City accomplished this goal with the park?EUR??,,????'???s completion on July 3, 2001. The grand re-opening celebration was held at the beginning of the City?EUR??,,????'???s annual Family Festival celebration on July 4th. The focal feature of the park is Webster Lake, a man-made irrigation reservoir dating back to 1887. Webster Lake had undergone various changes in its long history, but when it was taken over by Northglenn in 1969, it had become a 10 acre pond characterized by a shallow lake bottom, a square shoreline and a fishery sustained by the stocking efforts of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The main emphasis of the rehabilitation project was to create a lake environment capable of sustaining a self- perpetuating fishery while providing an aesthetic feature and recreational amenity within the park. The lake was drained, deepened and reconstructed to allow for a more ?EUR??,,????'??natural?EUR??,,????'?? lake environment, with water depths increased from 11 feet to 25 feet. A PVC liner was installed to help minimize water losses through the permeable sub-grade of the lake bottom and various shoreline treatments were added to help reduce erosion and to make the lake more accessible for the disabled. Over three hundred linear feet of existing shoreline cattails were removed and stockpiled during construction, and upon replanting they re-established themselves rapidly and vigorously. Numerous aquatic plant species were introduced to provide for an improved aquatic ecosystem, which add to the more ?EUR??,,????'??natural?EUR??,,????'?? lake setting and an improved aesthetic quality. A ?EUR??,,????'??Quiet Cove?EUR??,,????'?? was created to serve as a natural spawning ground in a newly protected section of the lake created by the construction of a peninsula. The quiet cove is posted as no fishing or other disturbances. Soil from the old lake bottom was used to create the peninsula and to extend parkland into the lake, thereby establishing an additional three acres of usable turf area in the park. Through careful balancing of earth cuts and fills, the lake volume remained the same, and little additional soil was required to fulfill the intent of the grading plan. A decorative geyser fountain was added to help aerate the lake and to provide an aesthetic focal point when viewed from any direction. Webster Lake has in the past and continues to this day to be filled by water from the adjacent Farmers?EUR??,,????'??? Highline Canal. A 500-foot portion of the canal was reconstructed and water through this section is now conveyed through an underground box culvert. This action not only took care of a safety issue in a steeply sloped section of the canal, but also added an additional half-acre of parkland and improved access from the recreation center across the street. The existing eight-foot wide asphalt trail around the lake was reconstructed into to a ten-foot wide concrete pathway around the lake, and further widened to sixteen feet through the center of the park, where congestion at times made usage difficult. The new trails also allow for easier service vehicle access. Additional seating benches for lake viewing and relaxation were placed around the lake, as well as new picnic tables throughout the park. Designers of the project also incorporated an 80-foot pedestrian bridge from the new peninsula to the western shoreline. Named the ?EUR??,,????'??New Millennium?EUR??,,????'?? bridge to commemorate the dawn of the new century, the bridge is paved with approximately 2,000 brick pavers, 650 of which were sold to the public, with all proceeds committed to the overall project, and inscribed with personalized commemorative phrases or names. As part of the construction process, those who purchased the brick pavers were invited to place their individual bricks on the bridge. On a Saturday morning, over 400 purchasers showed up to lay their bricks on the bridge. City staff assisted them in their installation and in many instances, loved ones were remembered and amidst tears and memories. A new dock and boathouse were constructed to house the pedal boat and concession operation through the summer months. The boathouse was designed to store boats in the water under the boathouse during the summer use season, providing secure and easy access for staff. During the off-season and through the winter, boats are stored inside the building keeping them out of the elements and prolonging their useful life. The park?EUR??,,????'???s seasonal pedal boat operation grossed a record $24,025 in 2001, 352 percent above 2000 operations. The gain in revenue was realized despite a shortened operating season due to the park?EUR??,,????'???s re-opening in early July. For this reason, we anticipate revenues to increase this year and in subsequent years as the public becomes more aware of this unique recreational amenity in the north Denver metro area. These figures help support the belief that a high quality public park system affording a diversity of recreational amenities can and does contribute to a community?EUR??,,????'???s vitality and local economy. The popularity of E. B. Rains, Jr. Memorial Park is already well established in the community as it plays host to numerous community and family oriented special events, including a summer concert series, 4th of July Family Festival, Kids Fishing Derby, Halloween Hayrides, Teddy Bear Picnic and other related events. The park also includes established amenities including five picnic pavilions, a playground, basketball court, and public restroom. Adding to this mix are two new lake front picnic pavilions that together can accommodate groups up to 300. Situated on a concrete plaza on the south shore of the lake, the pavilions include electric outlets and large group grills for use by families, companies and other organizations seeking a setting with views of Colorado?EUR??,,????'???s magnificent Rockies. Predictably, revenue from pavilion rentals increased 59 percent from 2000 to 2001, which again was a shortened season. Through May 20, 2002, revenue projections for the current year indicate an additional increase of approximately 35 percent over 2001. This increase in revenue reflects the higher use of the park and its amenities. It has become apparent that this park is on its way to becoming a regional destination point due to the demographic information derived from recent rental requests. To support this new development, a new irrigation system was installed, and more than 30 new trees were planted to enhance the grounds and support the City?EUR??,,????'???s Urban Forestry program and Tree City USA status. Three new flowerbeds were added to the park, and have the benefit of being planted and maintained by volunteers. One small bed includes a ?EUR??,,????'??Peace Pole?EUR??,,????'?? installed by area youth. The Peace Pole is inscribed ?EUR??,,????'??May Peace Prevail On Earth?EUR??,,????'?? in twelve languages, including sign language, Spanish, Vietnamese, Hebrew and Native American Navajo, in an effort to commemorate world peace. New and additional area lights were installed to provide better security lighting and to extend the usable hours of the park. Over the winter holiday season, the park is transformed into a part of an extensive holiday lighting project that encompasses the entire adjoining civic complex. Thousands of people enjoy a stroll around the venue throughout the holiday season. Five pieces of public art were also installed at E.B. Rains, Jr. Memorial Park as part of the newly inaugurated ?EUR??,,????'??Art on Parade?EUR??,,????'?? program. These pieces, which are on loan from the artists, are displayed in the park for one year and then replaced each year with a new selection. One piece, the ?EUR??,,????'??People?EUR??,,????'???s Choice?EUR??,,????'?? will be purchased for permanent installation in one of the City?EUR??,,????'???s parks or facilities. The goals of the Art on Parade program are: to build community appreciation for and the awareness of the aesthetic impact of art in public places, therein supporting future permanent placements in the city of Northglenn parks and facilities; to create a better visual environment through integrating the work of artists in the development of City Public Works projects; to seek opportunities for acquisition and placement of art in public places; and to promote the purchase of art by private business development and individuals. The success of this major renovation project was largely due to the financial partnership created with several agencies that helped finance this unique endeavor. The project was awarded at $2,082,953 with project contingency funds also approved by City Council in the event they were needed. Final project costs were $2,109,750, only 1.3 percent in excess of project bid costs and approved project contingency funds covered this small additional cost. Seventy-six percent of the project funding came from three major sources ?EUR??,,????'??? 29 percent from the Colorado Conservation Trust Fund (Lottery proceeds), 27 percent from the sale of surplus City properties, and 20 percent from the Adams County Open Space Tax fund. The remaining 24 percent of the funding came from the City of Northglenn General Funds (13 percent), grants from the Colorado Division of Wildlife ?EUR??,,????'??? Fishing is Fun Grant seven percent and Community Development Block Grant funds three percent. Creative fund raising mechanisms such as the sale of engraved commemorative bricks installed on the Millennium Bridge and the sale of memorialized park benches installed throughout the park were employed to help offset one percent of the project costs. Since its completion, the City has received numerous accolades from residents, visitors and from envious elected officials from adjoining cities. The Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects awarded a Professional Design Merit Award to the project for 2001. The Webster Lake and E. B. Rains, Jr. Memorial Park Renovation Project was under the direction of Steve Zoet, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, and completion of the project was accomplished through a collaborative approach where Nestor Fedak, ASLA, Manager of Parks Planning and Construction, served as the City of Northglenn?EUR??,,????'???s Project Manager and lead designer for this renovation. Tuttle Applegate, Inc. provided engineering and construction documents for the project. Architect of record was SlaterPaull and Associates of Denver. Goodland Construction, Inc. of Golden, Colorado provided General Contracting services. Carol Burdorf is the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services