Secretly gave away 20 acres of land to a developer near DIA as part of the Park Hill Park land swap

October 28, 2025

What Happened

Mayor Johnston gave away an extra 20 acres of land near DIA to the developer that the city bought the Park Hill golf course from in secret. He did not tell the public or city council about it.

What Should Have Been Done

Instead of swapping the land in secret, the administration should have notified City Council and the public.

---
title: "Secretly gave away 20 acres of land to a developer near DIA as part of the Park Hill Park land swap"
date: 2025-10-28
visible: true
category: transparency
sources:
  - url: "https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/denver-mayor-park-hill-land-swap-deal/73-6b70b20b-cb9a-4dc2-ae1a-c13cd858585a"
    title: "Denver mayor quietly adjusts Park Hill land swap deal, as transparency concerns continue"
  - url: "https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/faa-denver-park-hill-land-swap/"
    title: "FAA sees \"numerous abnormalities\" in Denver's Park Hill land swap, seeks more time to examine offer"
  - url: "https://www.westword.com/news/denver-quietly-added-extra-money-land-park-hill-swap-40798039/"
    title: "Denver Quietly Added Extra $900K, Twenty Acres to Park Hill Land Swap"
  - url: "https://www.denverpost.com/2025/10/28/denver-park-hill-public-access-land-swap/"
    title: "As Denver opens Park Hill Park, city confirms it gave developer an extra 20 acres in land swap"
  - url: "https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2025/10/30/denver-park-hill-land-swap-extra-acreage-faa.html"
    title: "FAA still reviewing Denver’s 20 acre land swap"
---

## What Happened

Mayor Johnston gave away an extra 20 acres of land near DIA to the developer that the city bought the Park Hill golf course from in secret.  He did not tell the public or city council about it.

## What Should Have Been Done

Instead of swapping the land in secret, the administration should have notified City Council and the public.