The city now owns two-thirds of Duncan Park.

Englewood purchased the second of three parcels March 13 from the Englewood School District for $533,336.

The city made the purchase thanks to a $200,000 grant for open space acquisition from Greater Outdoors Colorado. The city used Conservation Trust Fund money Englewood receives from the Colorado Lottery and money the city receives as its portion of what are called shareback funds from the Arapahoe County Open Space Tax.

The city purchased the initial 1.74-acre parcel in 2007 at a cost of $226,667 and the city will purchase the final portion of the park — about 3.1 acres — which includes the old Duncan School, in December 2010.

That parcel will cost about $400,000 and the city is setting aside the open space tax shareback funds to cover the cost of the land purchase. The December 2010 payment will complete the school district agreement to sell Duncan Park to the city for a total of $1.2 million

Gary Hultberg, recreation services manager, said no changes will be made until the final parcel is purchased.

Then, the proposal is to apply for a grant to begin planning what, if any, changes should be made to the site. He said the discussion will involve park neighbors and will include discussions of what to do with the old Duncan school building.

Duncan Park remains pretty much as it has been for the past two decades.

All Souls School continues to use the former school building for a preschool and daycare center. The remainder of the land, the open space, a playground and basketball courts, continue to be well-used by area residents.

Tim Conroy said he and his two grandsons were tossing the football around at Duncan Park April 11. Conroy said he and the boys come to the park regularly when he comes to visit them. He said the boys are fortunate to have a big open park within walking distance of their home.

The land has been as it is since the early 1950s when the Englewood School District built the Duncan School at 4800 S. Pennsylvania St.

The school was closed in the late 1970s and the district leased the surrounding land to the city so it could be maintained as a park. For the past several years, All Souls School has maintained a preschool and daycare center in the building.

The school district’s financial advisory committee recommended selling the school building and property.

Amid discussion of the possibility of subdividing the site into 18 lots for housing, residents in the area formed an ad-hoc committee, urging the city to buy the land and keep it as a park.

Supporters pointed out there isn’t another park in the southeast quadrant of the city from Oxford to Belleview and Broadway to Clarkson.

City and school officials discussed the issue and agreed a park would be the best use of the land.

In 2007, the city of Englewood and the school district agreed on terms for the purchase.