Elitch Gardens Sits On Prime South Platte Real Estate. It May Not Be There Much Longer

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A new neighborhood development could sprout up along the South Platte River in Denver near Elitch Gardens Amusement Park. The beloved theme park will likely be forced to move to make way for riverfront parks, towering apartment complexes, a school and more. The Elitch development is part of a trend across Colorado and the country to build upwards in the city core and not outward into the suburbs.

Denverite reporter Andrew Kenney, who's been following this story, talked to Colorado Matters about the impact of the new neighborhood. The mile of what city officials are calling "South Platte River improvements" could take more than two decades of development. The Elitch Gardens plot is prime real estate now, and with not many other theme park-sized plots of lands available in Denver, the death of the park may be inevitable.