Perry Rose, LLC Denver, Colorado
Elitch Gardens Denver, Colorado
Village History
Amusement Park to Urban Village

Elitch Gardens opened in 1890 as a zoological and botanical gardens on acreage farmed by John and Mary Elitch. Elitch's soon featured some of Denver's finest formal gardens and paths, along with exotic animals such as a tame bear, a monkey, and circus lions donated by P.T. Barnum. There were games, concerts, baseball leagues, and vaudeville entertainment. Elitch Gardens was so popular that posters justly claimed, "Not to see Elitch's is not to see Denver."

In 1916, Elitch's was sold to the Mulvihill-Gurtler family, who added more amusements, including a carousel, a Tilt-a-Whirl, and a thrilling roller coaster. Elitch's also was where Denverites gathered for social evenings. After dining at the Orchard Café, they could dance to Tommy Dorsey at the lavish Trocadero Ballroom.
The first movies shown in Denver were screened at Elitch's. But it was best known for the productions staged at the Elitch Theater, a picturesque, octagonal structure. By the 1920's the theater was regarded as one of the must influential institutions in American drama. Many notable actors performed here, including Sarah Bernhardt, Grace Kelly, and Edward G. Robinson. Elitch Gardens was shuttered in 1994, and the amusement park was moved to a new site in downtown Denver's Central Platte Valley the following year.

Developers responded to a request for proposal issued by the former amusement park owners to redevelop the vacated property. After a lengthy review process in 1996, the redevelopment project was awarded to developer Perry Rose LLC, HGV Land Co. (a Perry Rose entity) was formed to purchase the land. This decision was based on Perry Rose's commitment to preserving key historic pieces of the park and meld with the existing neighborhoods, which was viewed favorably by both the park's owner and by the community. In 1998, after a two-year public review process, the City of Denver approved the 27-acre site, to be rezoned to a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The PUD regulations encourage and allow more creative and imaginative design of land development than is possible under current city district zoning regulations. As a result of the PUD process and the vision for the development, today the former amusement park site has been transformed into a vital, thriving mixed-use neighborhood.