HISTORY OF THE SITE

Brookside Collective Park is located where Trinity United Methodist Church once stood. Trinity was built in 1948 at the corner of 37th Place and Peoria. At its height in the 1970s, the church had a membership of nearly 2,000 people. After many years of vitality and life-changing ministry, changing neighborhood demographics and an aging congregation put the church into a precarious situation. Many who attended the church had left the neighborhood and nearly 70 years after the church opened its doors, on May 31, 2015, Trinity closed its doors for the last time.

An extensive assessment of the property was made, and the building was deemed “too far gone” to renovate. Asbestos, a leaking roof, a flooding basement, and systems in need of repair affirmed the decision to raze the building. In late December 2016, demolition began and in a matter of days, Trinity United Methodist Church was gone…but not forgotten.

In the spring and summer months of 2017, we transformed the empty lot into a park for the entire Brookside community to enjoy.

Since its transformation into a park, the property has seen thousands of visitors, held incredible free events and provided a place for families to rest or play together.

Brookside Collective Park is changing the meaning of community! We are working hard to be a place that respects the sacred nature of the past and welcomes a fresh spirit into a place that has held so much meaning for so many people throughout the years.