Near the busy intersection of South Broadway and West Alameda Avenue in Denver’s Baker neighborhood stands an unused dog park with its entrances padlocked shut.

Local pet owners can rejoice because the opening is imminent – ​​even if the park may only exist for a few years.

Broadway Bark — the official name of the dog park at 380 S. Cherokee St. — has been shrouded in mystery since construction began last winter, when workers regraded the site and installed an irrigation system, fencing and more.

On Reddit, Denver residents have been inquiring about the status of the dog park and speculating about its ownership over the past few months.

There is confusion over that detail. At AMLI Broadway Park and Cortland Alameda Station, two apartment buildings near the park, members of the leasing team said they believed the city owned them. However, Stephanie Figueroa, spokeswoman for Denver Parks and Recreation, said it was a private development.

The 1-acre dog park is owned by BMP Northwest LLC, but development company D4 Urban is responsible for the property, said Dan Cohen, CEO of D4 Urban. His team aims to open the park in the fall and plans to put up signage over the next month, he added.

“We have waited until the native grasses are fully established before opening the park to the public,” Cohen said in an email. “Once the gates are open, I think the word will spread very quickly.”

D4 Urban could host an opening event for its so-called “dog playground,” which includes an agility ramp, tunnels and other equipment. Cohen said the timing will likely coincide with the Oct. 27 opening production of the “Monopoly Lifesized” experience at the nearby Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Off-Center at Broadway Park, 407 S. Broadway.

But the dog park will not be a permanent part of the Baker neighborhood. It is the site for future development, although what will take its place is uncertain. The mixed-use commercial zoning allows for various options, and construction will likely take place over the next four to seven years, Cohen said.

“Instead of leaving a vacant lot potentially sitting for several years, we decided that (the dog park) could serve as a unique community facility in the meantime,” Cohen said.

Whatever happens, the next version of the site won’t have a dog park. But other lots in the area are zoned as open space, and one of those may be reserved for dogs to roam, Cohen said.