Panorama Park in Southeast Colorado Springs wins People's Choice Starburst Award

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Panorama Park in Southeast Colorado Springs received a statewide award for the first time.

The city's parks department says the park won the Starburst People's Choice Award for excellence in using funds from the Colorado Lottery.

People who use the park say it's brought positive changes to the neighborhood.

"I've been coming here increasingly often," said David Butt, who comes to Panorama Park.

Butt says he feels safe when he comes to the park.

"Every time I've been here. There has been just a whole collection of people," Butt said.

Others say it's helping the community to build trust.

The Springs Parks Department says it took four years to transform the park. The goal was to create positive environment for people in the Southeast neighborhood.

"Safety, shade, life expectancy, and health rates are all things that are really important for this to be catalytic project," said Connie Schmeisser, who works as Landscape Architect II at the City of Colorado Springs.

Schmeisser says the parks department is working on the Grey Hawk Community Park.

"It seems like it's a great gathering spot for the community," Butt said.

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