Capital Improvement Projects and Planning

In 2016, the city was awarded a $75,000 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) planning grant to help fund the Big Dry Creek Recreation and Floodplain Restoration Master Plan and it has been completed! Click on Master Plan Executive Summary below to read the highlights, or click on Big Dry Creek Master Plan below to read the entire plan. City funds have been budgeted, additional grant funds have been secured and design is complete to construct floodplain restoration at the pilot project identified in the Master Plan - between East 152nd Parkway and E-470, west of York Street. The goal is to reconnect the channel to its historic floodplain and improve channel stability, water quality, wildlife habitat and ecosystem health. Construction of the channel work has been completed and floodplain restoration/wildlife habitat planting is expected to be finished in late summer! Contact Paula Schulte at 303-255-7844 or email paula.schulte@ThorntonCO.gov for more information.

Just as the South Platte River on our eastern edge and Niver Creek and its tributaries in our southwestern area, the Big Dry Creek corridor provides outstanding opportunities in the northwest portion of the city for open space preservation and enhancement as a passive recreation and wildlife habitat area. As identified in Thornton's Parks and Open Space Master Plan, Big Dry Creek is the premier ecosystem in the northwest area of the city with opportunities for year-round passive recreation while protecting, restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat and the creek's floodplain function.

Thornton voters in 1997 and again in 2013 passed a ballot initiative allowing for a .25% sale and use tax increase for parks and open space acquisition and development. Using these funds, and along with Adams County, almost 300 acres of open land along the corridor in Thornton has been preserved, mostly as natural stream bordered by undeveloped floodplain. The city owns one park facility, Thorncreek Golf Course of which approximately 44 acres are in the corridor, plus five open space parcels along Big Dry Creek totaling over 247 acres. Adams County owns two open space parcels totaling over 49 acres. While development intent for the corridor is to remain natural and be used primarily as open space with passive recreation, areas of the creek have been degraded and channelized from stream bank erosion, with resulting loss of riparian values, general floodplain functionality and valuable wildlife habitat.

The Eastlake Farmers Co-Operative Grain Elevator, located at 126th Avenue and Claude Court, is the centerpiece of the future historical exhibit area to be located just north of the RTD North Metro FasTracks station. The elevator was built in 1920 and on May 17, 2010 was named to the National Register of Historic Places and Colorado State Register of Historic Properties, in recognition of its contribution to the heritage of the State of Colorado. As part of its historical preservation, the elevator underwent a structural assessment. Repairs were made to its metal clad exterior and it was painted "grain elevator" white. Notice the before and after pictures! Click on "Eastlake Grain Elevator Story Node Sign" below to see an up close graphic of signage by the grain elevator.

Other historic components include railroad track donated and installed by the Union Pacific Railroad, with Thornton's Streets Division help. Aaron and Damita Holland, who met when they both worked in Thornton, are the McDonald's restaurant owners in Boulder that donated its wonderful caboose to the city. The caboose was built in 1920 as a freight car for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and has a steel frame on its outside, making it stronger than a typical 1920-era caboose. Because of increased railroad shipping during World War II, the freight car was converted to a caboose in 1942 to provide living space for five railroad workers. It was assigned to Stapleton Airport on Quebec Street and was in use until 1977. In 1978, the caboose was restored and moved to Boulder's 28th Street McDonalds restaurant to serve as a children's party venue. Moving the caboose from Boulder to Eastlake was quite a process! The caboose is now located at the south side of the elevator.

The historic ‘Wonderful Caboose’ at approximately 126th Avenue and Claude Court has undergone a full exterior rehabilitation that included restoration of the original exterior planking, extensive painting, replacement of windows, doors and the roof, and installation of metal bollard enclosure.

In an on-going effort to provide a legible, safe network of walking and biking trails throughout Thornton and to connect non-motorized travelers to key destinations, a signage plan was developed to highlight eleven trail corridors with color-coded pavement markings, map kiosks, map boards, destination signs, turn signs and bike safety signs. These wayfinding tools are being installed in phases. The first phase of installation currently underway includes Mid-Town Trail, Ditch Trail, Signal Ditch Trail and Grange Hall Creek Trail. The second phase of installation includes Niver Creek Trail, Brantner Gulch Trail, and Plains Tributary Trail. Funded in part by a Federal grant, that installation is starting November 2022. The third phase of installation will include Big Dry Creek Trail and 88th Trail and is expected to begin in Fall 2023. Please feel free to contact Kelly Zuniga by email at Kelly.Zuniga@ThorntonCO.gov or by phone at 303-255-7834 for more information.

A number of new improvements are in the process of being implemented at Niver Open Space. Mile High Flood District (MHFD) is leading several of the projects, in partnership with Parks, Recreation and Community Programs (PRCP) and Infrastructure Departments.

A new box culvert under Huron Street at Niver Creek Tributary M with a pedestrian underpass will address flooding concerns as well as allow safe access for pedestrians and cyclists to Niver Open Space. This project is nearing completion in fall 2022.

MHFD is constructing a channel stabilization and realignment project from approximately Thornton Parkway east to where Niver Tributary M meets Niver Creek on the east side of Niver Open Space. The purpose of the project is to protect underground utility pipes from erosion, reduce the slope of steep banks to create a more natural creek bed and to promote access to the water. The areas west of Huron Street were completed in fall 2022. The areas east of Huron Street will be under construction from October 2022 through Spring 2023.

A new dam outlet structure and forebay with maintenance access has been completed. This will improve the function of the dam outlet and make it easier to maintain.

In 2020, Thornton completed a design to add improvements along the Niver Nature Heritage Trail in Niver Open Space. Public meetings were held to solicit input. The proposed design includes two nature play areas (over 5,000 SF) with benches, informal seating and room for children to play on boulders, huge logs and colorful concrete animals ( a snake and a turtle). The design also includes three Heritage Trail story node areas that will feature seating and educational signage about local natural history and Niver Open Space ecosystems. Construction will be coordinated with other projects managed by MHFD, beginning in 2022.

Open space improvements will be constructed that were authorized and funded by City Council in 2017 and 2021, and with an Adams County Open Space grant award. Passive recreational improvements include soft surface trails, additional site furniture, nature play areas, educational signage, trailhead parking off 88th Avenue and small gathering spaces to activate the open space and improve accessibility. Please feel free to contact Andrew Tadross at Andrew.Tadross@ThorntonCO.gov or 303-255-7707 for more information.

Your patience and understanding during construction are greatly appreciated. Trails within Niver Open Space will be closed with signage indicating alternative routes. Trees have been removed including invasive Russian olive, Siberian elm, unhealthy trees or in areas where grading the creek bank requires removal. Re-vegetation of areas with willows, cottonwoods and other native plants will occur. Prairie dogs have been removed from the site in accordance with city policy, ordinance Number 2628. This is done as a last resort, but it is necessitated due to the heavy construction activities and the revegetation efforts. For more information, please contact Rachelle Plas at Rachelle.plas@thorntonco.gov and/or Andrew Tadross at andrew.tadross@thorntonco.gov.

Thornton has been working toward construction on a short segment of trail in the Springvale neighborhood to connect the cul-de-sac on 137th Avenue to the concrete trail just north. There is an existing ‘social’ dirt trail, which will be changed to concrete. Community meetings were held to inform residents and solicit comments. Special care is being taken to insure the project is accessible and has minimal impact on the nearby wetlands. Please feel free to contact Andrew Tadross at Andrew.Tadross@ThorntonCO.gov or 303-255-7707 for more information

An extensive renovation is planned in 2023 for the 16-acre Grange Hall Creek Park, located at 4800 E. 110th Avenue. The project will include installation of shade shelters, playgrounds and sport court play areas. A new irrigation system, trees plantings, and landscape design will be incorporated that follow ‘Naturally Thornton’ concepts to reduce traditional passive turf areas and use more expanses of native grass. An Adams County Open Space grant was awarded to help fund the design and construction. DESIGN CONCEPTS is leading the landscape architecture design. A public meeting was held on March 9 2022 to introduce the project and solicit ideas and comments from the community. A survey was provided, with 40 responses received. Based on the feedback, and extensive site analysis, a schematic plan has been created that will serve as the basis for design. We invite your feedback. Please send comments and questions to Andrew Tadross at Andrew.Tadross@ThorntonCO.gov or 303-255-7707.

Passive open space improvements will be incorporated to the approximate 9.4-acre Skylake Ranch Open Land at 119th Avenue and Holly Street. Additional open space plantings, shade shelter and site furniture are planned and other passive recreational amenities and improvements are to be considered based on public input and budget. Plant material health, especially around the former farm reservoir and trail and sidewalk connectivity will be addressed; the open space area is along the Union Ditch Regional Trail. Design is about to begin and a landscape architecture design firm has just been selected. A public meeting will be planned for early 2022 to gather input. Construction is planned for 2022. A $518,000 Adams County Open Space grant was awarded to help fund design and construction of the project. Don't hesitate to contact Paula Schulte at Paula.Schulte@ThorntonCO.gov or 303-255-7844 with questions or concerns.

Thornton has been working with MHFD, Adams County, Brighton, Commerce City and The Greenway Foundation on the South Platte River Vision and Implementation Plan. This is a once-in-a-generation collaboration that will have a lasting impact on the communities across Adams County and the Front Range region as a whole. The plan will set in motion actionable goals to restore the river’s ecological functioning, address conflicting adjacent land uses, create new connections and improved access, and reclaim the river corridor for public use, recreation and enjoyment.

The team is in the initial stages of this project. It has just concluded the “Discovery Phase” of work, which involved data collection and an inventory of everything in the river corridor such as bridges, habitat patches, animal species, invasive weeds, signage, trail connections, etc. Subsequent phases of this work will include visioning, public outreach and stakeholder engagement, which will help to formulate and obtain feedback on the plan. Please feel free to contact Andrew Tadross at Andrew.Tadross@ThorntonCO.gov or 303-255-7707 for more information.