A park in southeast Colorado Springs has won the 2024 Colorado Lottery Starburst Award and is now eligible to receive a People’s Choice Award.

The 13.5-acre park, Panorama Park, was one of 13 projects in Colorado to receive the award. The park underwent a major $8.5 million transformation back in 2022 and became the largest neighborhood park renovation in Colorado Springs history. The expansion and enhancement of the park were done to promote recreational equity and wellness.

The Springs invested $5.5 million into the renovations with $4 million of that coming from park-land dedication ordinance funds and a million from the trails, open space and parks sales tax. TABOR retention funds from 2018 accounted for $500,000, and the remaining $3 million came from private and nonprofit partners.

Reconstruction of the park began in May 2021 with a grand re-opening taking place in August the following year.

The renovation was made possible with collaborative planning involving RISE Southeast and Trust for Public Land and funding from multiple sources including the Trails, Open Space and Parks program, AARP Colorado, El Pomar Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies and a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.

Colorado Springs Councilmember Yolanda Avila spearheaded the renovation of the park. She said that when she was first elected in 2017, one of her priorities was taking a tour with the Parks,  Recreation and Cultural Services department of all the parks within the city.

“I was really disenchanted with the state of the parks; no restrooms, no trees for shade, very minimal amenities, if there were any,” Avila said. “So when we did the tour, it solidified that we really needed a decent neighborhood park here in southeast Colorado Springs.”

The Colorado Lottery Starburst Award recognizes excellence in the utilization of lottery funds for community and conservation projects. Lottery proceeds are distributed through grants such as the Great Outdoors Colorado grant that assisted in funding the major redesigns for the park. The 13 winners were chosen based on a wide variety of criteria, from project creativity, to economic and social impacts on the community.

“We were looking to improve the quality of life in southeast Colorado Springs,” Avila said. “I have people from all over the city tell me that they go to the park and that they love it.”

Winning the award makes the receiving park eligible for The People’s Choice Award, which highlights the best outdoor projects funded by the Colorado Lottery. Voting will open on Saturday and close July 15.

To learn more and to vote for Panorama Park, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/PanoramaPark.