Parks Advisory Board recommends community-serving future for former Meadows Park Community Center

The Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board voted Thursday to support a proposed sale of the former Meadows Park Community Center property that would preserve community-serving uses at the site for the next 25 years. The proposed agreement includes a deed restriction requiring future uses to benefit the surrounding neighborhood and broader community.

The board's vote is a recommendation and does not authorize the sale. The proposal will next go to Colorado Springs City Council, which has final authority to approve the property transfer. Council is currently scheduled to discuss the proposal at its Oct. 12 work session.

Under the proposal, local commercial real estate company CRE Holdings would purchase the property. The company has identified childcare for working families, youth programming and aftercare partnerships as priority uses, while also emphasizing access for lower-income households and continued investment in the facility. Specific future tenants, programs and services have not yet been finalized.

CRE's past work includes the Lincoln Center, where it redeveloped a former public school into a community-focused mix of businesses and services.

The recommendation follows nearly one year of work with Stratton Meadows residents and community representatives to identify a sustainable future for the property after the community center closed in October 2025. Community feedback emphasized access to services, social connection and community safety, and helped shape the priorities used to evaluate proposals.

"The community helped shape what comes next for this property, and that input has stayed at the center of this process," said Kim King, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. "The goal has been to find a sustainable future for the site that continues to provide meaningful benefit to Stratton Meadows. The Advisory Board's recommendation moves that work forward for City Council's consideration."

Following the center's closure, the City formed the Meadows Park Solutions Team, which included neighborhood residents, community leaders, City Councilmembers and City staff. The group reviewed community feedback and helped identify priorities for the property, including youth and childcare services, food access, senior and intergenerational programs, health and wellness, workforce and educational opportunities, and gathering space.

That work informed a competitive request for proposals issued in February. The City received three proposals, and an evaluation committee that included neighborhood representatives selected CRE Holdings to move forward based on its experience, approach and anticipated community impact.