Sugar Beet Park is a profoundly impactful park to the residents of Fort Collins, particularly to Hispanic residents of the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, where basic infrastructure, transportation, and open space needs have a history of neglect. As a cultural bridge, the park celebrates the rich heritage of the sugar beet in Fort Collins, a large and quirky vegetable that transformed Fort Collins into the nation’s largest sugar producer in the early 20th century. With a brightly colored wooden vegetable as the centerpiece, the park restores honor and significance to those who labored in the sugar beet fields; recognizing the unmistakable contributions of migrant workers to the economic and cultural development of the city, while creating a fun-filled, enriching park environment enveloped by a native Colorado landscape.
Office: City of Fort Collins Park Planning & Development
Client: Residents of Fort Collins
Contributions: Project director, lead designer, partnering with project funders
Awards
2022 Colorado American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award for Design
2022 Colorado Parks & Recreation Association Best Park Renovation
