The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board has awarded a $748,915 grant to the Town of Buena Vista to construct the Billy Cordova Memorial Park and Trail. The project will provide residents from the rapidly growing southwest side of town with a close-to-home park and a 1,700 foot trail connected to the town’s larger trail system.
This grant is part of GOCO’s Community Impact program, which develops and revitalizes parks, trails, schoolyards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors.
Park features fully accessible and adaptive equipment
The park will be the first within a three-county region to provide fully accessible and adaptive equipment for people living with physical and cognitive disabilities. It will feature a pour-in-place surface for increased mobility, sensory boxes, full support swings, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, first responder-themed play structures, exercise equipment for older adults, a labyrinth, a sport court, a dog run, restrooms, a shade structure, a small field, a memorial centerpiece, and a natural play area.
The park design was informed by a community engagement process led by a local coalition of neighbors, municipal leaders, parents, and recreation groups that started in 2013. Outreach included neighborhood events at the park site, surveys, classroom design projects, and experts from Colorado Autism Consultants and the Area Council on Aging.
“The Town of Buena Vista Staff would like to express our deepest appreciation to GOCO for the generous support in funding the Billy Cordova Memorial Park and Trail,” said Recreator Supervisor Shane Basford. “Your commitment to improving our community is truly remarkable.”
“This new park will provide much-needed recreational opportunities for people of all abilities in an area that has been lacking public resources. Your contribution will create a safe and inclusive space where families, children, and individuals can gather, connect with nature, and enjoy outdoor activities” added Bsford. “We are immensely grateful for your partnership in making this vision a reality. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Long-time Chaffee County Fire Battalion Chief Billy Cordova was killed in a motorcycle accident in July 2022. Courtesy image.
GOCO’s investment will be leveraged by a significant local cash and in-kind match, some of which will come through community building days, donation of services, and materials from local construction companies, and various fundraising events. The park will be named in memory of Chaffee County Fire Protection District Chief Billy Cordova. The project is slated for completion in the summer of 2024.
To date, GOCO has invested $16.9 million in projects in Chaffee County and partnered to conserve more than 6,500 acres of land there.
GOCO funding has supported campground and other improvements in the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Poncha Springs’ South Park Disc Golf Center, and Salida’s Riverside Park playground.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Featured image: Proposed amenities at Billy Cordova Park and Trail in Buena Vista. Image courtesy Town of Buena Vista Parks and Recreation
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