Twin Silo Park rises, and it's so Fort Collins

The Coloradoan

Silos stand tall as part of the play area at Twin Silo Park near Ziegler Road. The park is set to open in late October.

Construction and landscaping crews are working hard to get Fort Collins’ newest community park ready for its debut.

Twin Silo Park, which sits northeast of the intersection of Ziegler and Kechter roads, is expected to open to the public in late October.

Before that can happen, however, more custom-made playground equipment must arrive and be installed, said Craig Kisling, a city park planner. Sod must be laid and benches, hand-carved from aged cottonwood trees, placed at appropriate locations.

Construction on the $16 million park has been going on for more than a year. But the end is in sight, said Kurt Friesen, director of park planning and development for the city.

“There have been some challenges, but it’s coming together well,” Friesen said Thursday during a tour of the park.

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The 54-acre site has been transformed from an open field into a unique facility. The park carries an agricultural theme reflected in its amenities, which include a 26-plot community garden, an orchard with apple, cherry and plum trees, and trestles for growing hops.

The centerpiece of the playground consists of two former grain silos moved from a city-owned property near the intersection of Prospect and Timberline roads.

The 48-foot-tall silos stand over a shelter and play area designed to look like a barn. The structures will be connected by a tall slide.

City Manager Darin Atteberry looks into a large silo with planning director Kurt Friesen and Craig Kisling at Twin Silo Park near Ziegler Road earlier this week. The 54-acre park, with a community garden and playground, is planned to open in late October.

The park includes traditional community park features such as ballfields and a large expanse of grass that can be used for soccer and lacrosse games. Pickleball courts are featured on the east side of the park.

McClelland Creek meanders through the park and will be accessible for water play. A BMX track on the northeast side of the park near Fossil Ridge High School is already in use.

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City officials expect Twin Silo Park will be another jewel of the Fort Collins park system. But what about the name? Shouldn’t it be twin silos, as in more than one silo?

Yes and no, Friesen said, but mostly no. The name is Twin Silo Park for a number of reasons, including marketing and branding.

The word “twin” is etched in large letters on one silo, and “silo” is on the other.

At night, the silos will be gently illuminated. Each word has four letters; it will look sharp.

In addition, the silos are connected by a slide and could be considered a single functional unit.

Another reason is the sound of the name, he stated in an email, because “we felt it rolled off the tongue a little easier, and was a simpler name.”

Kevin Duggan is a Coloradoan senior reporter covering local government. Follow him on Twitter, @coloradoan_dugg, and on Facebook at Coloradoan Kevin Duggan.

PHOTOS: Silo relocation underway

MORE PHOTOS: Twin Silo groundbreaking

The final touches on landscaping are made at Twin Silo Park. The park, with a community garden and playground, is planned to open in late October.