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Western Gateway Park pitch would use pool funds as grant match for riverfront swim beach and venture hub
Summary
The Western Gateway proposal calls for phased riverfront restoration and a swim beach that proponents say could be advanced with matching grants; speaker estimated the swim-beach component at about $2.4M and total phased costs around $7.2M with grants.
Rob Gilkerson presented the Western Gateway Park concept, a phased riverfront redevelopment he said could use the existing 0.3% tax collection as local match to increase grant leverage. Gilkerson gave line-item estimates for a swim-beach phase (about $2.4M), a rehab/river-safety component, parking and a "venture hub" to host small business or recreation enterprise space.
He argued the project is already well-vetted through stakeholder meetings and community input and that the city could triple local funds by winning matching grants. Council members asked clarifying questions about parking, access, and whether the ballot could be structured to let voters choose between a pool and Western Gateway; the city attorney said asking voters to choose between two TABOR questions would require separate legal framing.
