Article Contributed on: 6/19/2009 3:17:20 PM
Joggers, bicyclists and open space lovers will soon celebrate the opening of a new trail in Commerce City.
The city -- commonly notorious for its bustling highways, smokestacks and semi-trucks -- will host a grand opening ceremony next weekend for the Prairie Gateway Open Space Trail and Overlook. The 2.4-mile trail, which loops around the perimeter of the 190-acre Prairie Gateway Open Space area, lies between the new Civic Center and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
The open space trail eventually connects with the wildlife refuge perimeter trail at Quebec Parkway. It becomes the latest addition to a city that boasts approximately 30 miles of trails for its residents.
Commerce City mayor Paul Natale said the completion of the trail shows the city's commitment to improving the quality of life for its residents.
"We are dedicated to promoting an active, healthy lifestyle," Natale said.
Construction workers were still putting the final touches June 17 on the trail's overlook, a two-tiered platform structure located on the high end of the open space. The structure is made of concrete and colored stone and features a compass etched on the floor of the top tier.
The bottom tier offers benches and landscaping with native plants.
The trail and overlook were constructed this spring at a cost of $450,000, according to the city's parks and recreation department. Two grants -- an $84,000 grant from Adams County Open Space and a $200,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado -- helped fund the project.
The grand opening ceremony also will serve as the city's Arbor Day celebration, which was postponed from April due to inclement weather. Seedlings will be handed out to promote the annual celebration of trees.
Representatives from the Rocky Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Center and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Center also will be on hand to provide information about the planned visitors' center. The $7.4 million center, which will be powered by green technologies like wind turbines and solar panels, recently received $3.2 million in federal stimulus funds to help complete construction.
Short tours also will be given to view the bison in the area, which once was home to a chemical weapons factory run by the U.S. military. The refuge is now teeming with wildlife, including prairie dogs, coyotes and deer.
UP NEXT
What: Grand opening ceremony for Prairie Gateway Open Space Trail and Overlook
When: 9 a.m. June 27
Where: Just north of the Commerce City Civic Center, 7887 E. 60th Ave. (take Prairie Parkway to Gateway Road and look for the tents)
Cost: Free
Info: Call the parks and recreation department at 303-289-3760.