To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces
Prepared By:
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Michele Frishman, Grants and Acquisitions Manager, Open Spaces
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presenter
Presenter: Michele Frishman, Grants and Acquisitions Manager, Open Spaces; Dove Valley Metropolitan District; Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club
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Subject:
title
1:45 PM *Joint Project Request for Bridge Replacement over Cherry Creek
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Open Spaces staff will present a request to award $135,000 to the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club (Rapids), which is leading the replacement of a public pedestrian bridge over Cherry Creek at the Gates Soccer Complex. Open Spaces recommends providing the requested funding out of the $1.5 million Dove Valley Working Group pledge, part of Open Spaces’ Acquisition and Development Fund. We request that the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approve the funding.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Understand and respond to community needs, interests, and values.
Background and Discussion: This request for Dove Valley Working Group funds is intended to assist in the replacement of a public pedestrian bridge across Cherry Creek south of Arapahoe Road. The previous bridge was installed in 1999 and was destroyed by flooding in 2023. It was located at an important connection point for the Cherry Creek Trail, the next phase of the Fremont Avenue Trail, and the north and south fields of the Gates Soccer Complex on City of Aurora property.
Since the old bridge was destroyed, anyone trying to reach the Cherry Creek Trail from the south, as well as users of the soccer complex, either has to cross the creek using boulders installed for this purpose, or they have to drive or ride around the entire complex. Besides potential safety issues at the boulder crossing, it is not ADA-accessible.
Open Spaces has been aware of the need to replace the old bridge since the early days of the Dove Valley Working Group. In January 2025, the working group received a request for funding to install a new bridge.
As the underlying property owner, the City of Aurora has approved the bridge replacement project. Construction is expected to begin in November and to be completed within three months. In addition to the new bridge, the project would include construction of accessible approach ramps on either side and informational signage.
The total project cost is $293,793, with a 54% cash match coming from the Parker Jordan Metropolitan District, the Colorado Soccer Association, and the Rapids. The Dove Valley Metropolitan District also provided significant in-kind support by assisting with the funding application.
The Rapids would be responsible for maintaining the new bridge. However, in the event the arrangement between the City of Aurora and the Rapids for use of the property is discontinued, the Dove Valley Metropolitan District would maintain the bridge for its useful life to ensure continued, safe public access.
Alternatives: Approve, deny, or modify the funding request.
Fiscal Impact: $135,000 in Dove Valley Working Group funds, which reside in the Open Space Acquisition and Development Fund. The fund balance exceeds this amount.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the County’s strategic plan.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends providing $135,000 in Open Space Acquisition and Development funds to the Rapids, as the project lead, to support the replacement of the pedestrian bridge over Cherry Creek. This funding would come from the $1.5 million Dove Valley Working Group pledge.
Concurrence: The Open Space and Trails Advisory Board recommended the requested funding at its meeting on April 28, 2025. The Parker Jordan Metropolitan District, Dove Valley Metropolitan District, Mile High Flood District, and City of Centennial support the project.