Plans are in the discussion stage for improvements to one of Denver’s largest and most historic public spaces.
Serving as a kind of intricate courtyard for its location – connecting it with the Colorado State Capitol and a number of government office buildings as well as the city’s historic Capitol Hill neighborhood – the 2 square-block Civic Central Park was opened in 1919 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
Now Denver officials want to upgrade a space that annually attracts up to one million visitors a year. In so doing, the city has hosted public input meetings to gather information on how the park can best serve the many people who use it.
That public input for what is called Civic Center Next 100 has put an emphasis on respecting the historic character of the space, while also wanting the park to become more of an everyday destination site for area residents.
In response, the city has devised a series of planning concepts for four specific parts of the park: a revitalization of the 100 year-old Greek Amphitheater; the beautification of the park’s Central Promenade; an upgrading of the McNichols Civic Center Building; and a transformation of the Bannock Street stretch of the park between Colfax Avenue and 14th Avenue into a permanent pedestrian plaza.
Plans are also underway for a newly designed park central promenade.
The final concept layout for the project is expected to be completed and revealed to the public this fall.
Funding for the Civic Central Park upgrade project is partially coming through the Elevate Denver Bond Program, a $937 million initiative approved by Denver voters in 2017.
By Garry Boulard
