Dozens of dogs of all shapes and sizes joined Colorado Springs officials at Antlers Dog Park Thursday afternoon to celebrate the downtown’s first dog park.
“Today we truly get to live up to our reputation and our ranking as the No. 1 pet-friendly city in the country,” Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The ADA-compliant space includes two separate play areas — one for small dogs and another for larger dogs — and features a large fence with double gates, synthetic turf, a sitting area, play amenities and a dog water station.
The space was the last project of the Downtown Historic Park Improvements master plan and was funded through the voter-approved Ballot Issue 2B which allowed the city to keep excess TABOR revenue.
“Our downtown is a growing neighborhood,” said Chelsea Gondeck, director of planning and mobility at the Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership. “Last year, we saw over 430 new units come online and we have about 2,000 more that we’re expecting in the next year and a half.”
Gondeck said the number of hotel rooms in the downtown area has also doubled over the last few years.
“These spaces are the kind of spaces that all of us need for our dogs and for our sanity and just for our quality of life,” said Councilmember Michelle Talarico, who represents District 3 where the dog park is located.
Antlers Dog Park is located at 31 Pikes Peak Ave.
