The City of Fort Collins acquired Hughes Stadium, a former football stadium owned by Colorado State University, in 2023 following a ballot measure that required the City to rezone the site as “Public Open Lands” and to attempt to acquire it for uses such as, “parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration.”

Throughout 2022-2023, the City conducted two community surveys about the future use of the property and a City Council work session to review the feedback and discuss next steps. However, no consensus was found and in 2024, the Fort Collins City Council voted 3-2 for the use of a Civic Assembly to help determine the future of Hughes Stadium. The Hughes Civic Assembly will convene in Spring of 2025 to answer the following question:

“Informed by the diverse needs of our community, what use of the Hughes site will contribute most effectively to Fort Collins’ long-term vitality and meet the requirements outlined in the 2021 ballot measure?”