Community Donation Helps to Finish Eastside Park Improvements

The City of Fort Collins has celebrated the completion of park improvements to Eastside Park as a result of a generous donation from community partner First United Methodist Church.

The park received a significant number of upgrades, improvements, and repairs. The park improvement project’s planning efforts started early in 2019 when First United Methodist Church celebrated its 150th anniversary and identified Eastside Park as an ideal project to celebrate the milestone.

“First United Methodist Church of Fort Collins is honored to have played a leading role in the refurbishment of Eastside Park,” said Dr. Melanie Rosa, Lead Pastor at First United Methodist Church. “We felt so blessed that the opportunity to support and participate in this project came to our attention,” Melanie said.

The park’s needs and wants were identified and then brought together into final plans as City Give, the City of Fort Collins’ support team for philanthropic gifts, Park Planning & Development, local neighborhood stakeholders, and other City departments worked together. Improvements to the park include safer pathway lighting, new seating and planting areas, updated park identification signs, new benches, picnic tables, bike racks, BBQ grills, and a new soft surface pathway running through the park.

The City of Fort Collins held a small ribbon-cutting ceremony at Eastside Park, recognizing and celebrating the improvements and donative partnership with First United Methodist Church. There is a highlight video from the ceremony available on the website listed below.

“City Gives’ unique role is to offer a point of entry to the City for those wanting to give back to our local community,” said Nina Bodenhamer, Director of City Give. “We live in a generous community and are so appreciative of the creative and valuable ways local organizations, such as First United Methodist Church, are able to give back,” Nina said.

For more information regarding Eastside Park and to view the highlight video, visit: fcgov.com/parkplanning or to learn more about City Give, visit: fcgov.com/citygive