Can Civic Center Change Create Civil Colfax Corner?

by Valley Gadfly | Mar 28, 2025 | Main Articles

As Civic Center’s Next 100 Plan Gets Set To Start, Hope Is Change Will Enliven City Core, Reduce Crime

by Glen Richardson

Civic Center Today: Civic Center Park was constructed in 1917 as an open stage with murals by local artist Allen Tupper True.

By creating a civic renaissance of sorts, Denver hopes the makeover of Civic Center Park at the intersection of Colfax Ave. and Broadway — one of the Mile High City’s five crime hotspots — will help bring people back and turn around downtown.

The park is currently little more than a threadbare notion of civic grandeur that few people use besides the homeless and skateboarders. With constant growth of the Golden Triangle neighborhood as the 16th Street Mall renovation nears completion, Civic Center Park will connect the two and optimistically serve as a gathering spot for events and festivals.

In early 2024, Denver Parks & Recreation contracted with Studio Gang to lead the Phase 1 design of the Civic Center “Next 100” plan. Proposed changes include improvements to the Greek Theater, Central Promenade, and South Plaza. The Landmark Preservation Committee approved the initial design plans on January 21 of this year.

Boost Daily Use

Civic Center Park is Denver’s first National Historic Landmark, and city leaders say honoring its history is critical to its future. Furthermore, they believe the park needs to accommodate its traditional uses while also encouraging increased daily use.

Modifications and alterations being proposed include to Bannock Street, the Greek Amphitheater, Central Promenade, plus a new “central gathering” feature th

Seating Shift: A rendering of new seating for the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park. The curved stairs in the bowl will be removed, which some experts say is a historical feature. City & County of Denver photo

at has yet to be developed. Parks & Recreation requested and has received comment and suggestions from the public as they get ready to begin the major transformation.

Located at the heart of the city and surrounded by key civic and cultural institutions, Civic Center Park has in the past, and is expected to continue serving as a signi­ficant gathering spot for cultural events, festivals, and First Amendment rallies.

Makeover Features

The makeover will feature good-looking greenspaces, improved pedestrian access, and community event sites to attract increased usage. Direction that the theater’s audience faces will change from south to north. In addition to the direction the audience faces, the stage’s openings change from northward to south. A new stage is being added near the park’s center; thus, the amphitheater bowl will function in reverse of how it does currently.

More importantly, a new food truck promenade is being added. Furthermore, landscapers are creating fresh, innovative garden spaces. Finally, a memori

Proposed Remodel: A rendering of the proposed changes to the Greek Theater in Denver’s Civic Center Park designed by globally-renowned architectural firm Studio Gang. City & County of Denver photo

al to disability activists of the Gang of 19 will be installed.

Civic Center Park’s new designs are being created by Studio Gang, a Chicago-based architecture and urban design practice. Studiotrope Design Collective — the Denver-based architect firm that designed Levitt Pavilion and upgrades to the new Central Library — are assisting with the design project. Landscaping is being done by Philadelphia’s OLIN with assistance from Tina Bishop of Denver’s Mundus Bishop.

Small Crowd Design

Significantly, the new park designs are being created to allow for increased individual, daily use versus the huge events of the past. You’ll recall, the park has hosted every­thing from sports championship parades to the massive Denver PrideFest, and Cinco de Mayo Festival. With the downsize of events, park features are being spread across a broader area of the park.

This time the designers want the space more usable for events that serve 1,000 people or fewer. That will make events more cost-effective for community groups using the space. Moreover, audiovisual infrastru

Disability Honor: Rendering of Studio Gang’s memorial commemorating Denver’s Gang of 19 disability advocates for Civic Center Park.

cture is being added within the park.

Although the structure around the amphitheater bowl is a historic landmark, the bowl of the theater was rebuilt in 2004 and is no longer considered historic, so adding seats and altering its orientation is allowed. The new stage will be opposite the current theater stage, with an arch cover over the stage.

Stage Of Steel

The arch over the new stage will be made mostly of steel, but Studio Gang designers are still deciding on the material to use. The goal is to use material between the steel beams that allows some light to pass through the structure.

The updated design also includes new seats. They will be built in a radial pattern that can be opened or closed based on the size of the event. Visitors will also be able to sit inside the historic colonnade walls of the amphitheater. The seating will also be used by those having lunch at events such as Civic Center EATS. In addition to the seats, people can use the stage area for yoga classes and other activities, not just musical performances.

Another park upgrade is that the amphitheater bowl will be wheelchair accessible, with properly sloped pathways around the outer edge of the amphitheater plus the main seating bowl. Those paths will connect all the way to the southern plaza, something that currently is not possible for those who use wheelchairs.

Southern Plaza Facelift

Voorhies Memorial: Memorial in Civic Center Park was home to a temporary art display in honor of 2020 World Day of Remembrance.

A facelift is also being given to the southern plaza near East 14th Ave. A memorial is being created to honor the Gang of 19 — disability activists led by Reverend Wade Blank that ditched their wheelchairs and crawled onto then-inaccessible RTD buses at Colfax and Broadway in 1978.

Those demonstrations caused RTD to become the first mass transit system in the nation to be fully wheelchair-accessible.

The memorial will feature a large central feature bearing the words “we will ride,” as well as seating, trees, and other information about the Gang of 19.

Promenade Plans

Aside from the amphitheater and the space directly around it, the north-south promenade across the park will be revamp­ed, as will several other of the park amenities.

The promenade is currently the only active space in the park. That causes crowding in the one area, while much of Civic Center’s 12-acre urban oasis isn’t used nearly enough. Garden rooms on the east and west sides of the promenade will reorient current planting plots which are now only on the west side of the promenade.

Finally, a new public garden walk will be placed on the southwest side of the park between the Greek Theater and the City & County Building. Both spaces will be planted with year-round or perennial foliage. Current gardens are effective, but not accessible to the public from the promenade.

City To Charge $150 Per Year To Fix Sidewalks

by Valley Gadfly | Feb 19, 2025 | Main Articles

You Don’t Own Sidewalks At Homes, ­Businesses, But City Set To Charge You $150 Per Year For Repairs

by Glen Richardson

Stumbling Steps: Denver residents have stumbled along with broken sidewalks for years. Now the city will begin to fix them.

The Mile High City has found a fast path to get back on its feet. After stumbling along with broken sidewalks for years, this year the city is starting to charge homes and busi­nesses $150 per year to fix sidewalks, “Unfortunately,” Denver admits, “there are many sidewalks in need of repair and about 40% of our sidewalk network is either missing or too narrow.”

The fee applies to all property types, both housing and stores. Moreover, the city says property owners who don’t have a sidewalk along their property will still have to pay the fee.

Additional charges — yet to be determin­ed — will be added to properties with significantly more sidewalk frontage than the average property owner. The latest changes also mean property owners who live on private streets will be charged fees, even though they will continue to be responsible for their own upkeep.

All Properties Fee

Voter approved in November 2022, the city will use the fee to repair hazardous side­walks, reconstruct sidewalks that are deficient, and build sidewalks where they’re missing.

“Since everyone benefits from a complete sidewalk network,” city officials declared in a controversial decision that all Denver

property owners will have to pay the fee.

The $150 per year fee — that the city says could increase due to inflation — will be split into two payments, with each half appe

Sidewalk Supervisor: Newly appointed Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) appointee Amy Ford will direct sidewalk work.

aring on the property owner’s bi-annual stormwater bill. The average annual cost for sidewalk maintenance per capita in other major U.S. cities is between $30 and $60.

$40 Million Per Year

“Ordinance 307 will begin to fix or build functional sidewalks for the 40% of the city’s streets that are missing them,” according to Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure or DOTI.

DOTI — headed by Amy Ford, a ­Dallas consulting firm appointment of Mayor Mike Johnston — estimates the fee will bring in $40 million a year for sidewalks. The ordinance says the work should be done in nine years, but the city can take longer if that’s not possible. Back in 2022, the city estimated it could take nearly 30 years.

Most other cities charge for sidewalks by requiring property owners to pay a fee based on the linear footage of sidewalk directly in front of their property, meaning they are essentially charg

Paving The Way: The City of Denver is set to begin charging homes and businesses $150 per year to fix sidewalks.

ed per foot of sidewalk they are responsible for maintaining.

Large Lots Extra

Properties that have more than 230 feet of street bordering their property, such as those with corner-lots, will be charged an additional $3.50 per foot over 230 feet. At locations where sidewalks don’t currently exist, property owners will pay either the flat fee or flat fee with impact fee, based on the length of the public right of way where a future sidewalk will be constructed.

While the program’s original language called for the city to get the job done in nine years, part of the changes approved recognized that might not be possible, expanding the timeline to “soon thereafter.”

A city analysis in 1922 estimated Denver sidewalks would cost $2.8 to $7.3 billion, far more than the $40 million the city says it

Filling The Gap: Fixing or eliminating gaps in sidewalks improves the safety and comfort for pedestrians, cyclists, and other users.

will cost in 2025.

Rebates Obtainable

The sidewalk program also provides a way for property owners to apply for a rebate on their sidewalk fee based on income and household size.

Property owners already receiving the city’s instant rebate for solid waste management services will automatically receive the sidewalk rebate and will not need to re-apply.

More: Now homeowners only have to fill out one application to determine their eligibility for DOTI’s Solid Waste Service Rebate and Sidewalk Program Rebate. Trash rebate participants who receive a stormwater bill will automatically receive the sidewalk rebate.

Two Payments Yearly

The fee will appear on municipal stormwater bills. It will be divided into two payments for the first and second half of the year.

Whether a homeowner’s block has

Closed For Overhaul: With about 40% of Denver’s sidewalks either missing or too narrow, residents will see a lot of this sign.  Photo by Hart Van Danburg

proper sidewalks or not, property owners have to pay. Even if they don’t have a sidewalk along their property, they still have to pay. If they have a homeowner’s association that handles their stormwater bills, the HOA would handle the fee.

The program will build sidewalks to the current city standard. If a district has existing decorative or beyond-standard sidewalks, the city will repair or repave the side­walk to city standard, but not to the district’s beyond-standard sidewalk. Any changes to the district’s assessment to reflect a decreased need for sidewalk funding as a portion of their assessment would need to be handled according to the district’s budgetary rules.

Citizen Damage Reports

While DOTI says it stands up for the city’s new sidewalk program, people will be able to report major sidewalk damage on Denver’s Online Services Hub. DOTI will inspect and triage reports received and those that meet certain criteria will be placed on a spot repair program. Examples of sidewalk issues that may be addressed in the spot repair program include: a) Adjoining sections of sidewalk with an elevation difference greater than one inch; b) Adjoining sections of sidewalk with gaps greater than one inch; and c) Extensive raveling and major breaking.

Large properties — including Denver’s Department of Parks & Recreation and other government entities with big tracts of land — could face significantly higher bills if they have more than 230 linear feet of sidewalk running along their lots.

Once money starts flowing in from fees, DOTI will hire a concrete contractor to start making repairs. It will also hire a consultant to create a sidewalk master plan. All of that is mandated in the original law voters approved. Once fully built out, Denver’s sidewalk network will be approximately 3,489 miles, or about the distance from Denver to New York City and back again!

No Blarney: Dublin In Denver

by Valley Gadfly | Feb 19, 2025 | Main Articles

Parade, Good Luck Charms, And All Things Green To Add A Bit O’ Fun For St. Paddy’s Day On March 15

by Glen Richardson

Irish Trek: Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, floats, and half a million people are expected for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 15 starting at Wynkoop St. and 19th Ave.

Bagpipers, bands, leprechauns, and floats, the Mile High City becomes Dublin for a day as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a wee bit early parade on Saturday, March 15. The actual holiday is Monday, March 17.

With green and glee, the parade has been running for more than 60 years. Nearly half a million people are expected to attend this year. The city paints a green strip down the parade path on Blake Street. Signage on the street is annually changed to Tooley Street in honor of Dale Tooley, Denver’s district attorney in the 1970s and 1980s.

The parade begins at the corner of 19th and Wynkoop, turns left on 17th Street to Blake St. then marches east on Blake and ends at 27th and Blake at the Coors Field parking lot. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will fill the streets of Denver on March 15th rain or shine.

Grand Marshal

Luck O’ The Irish: Wishing you all the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day. A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find, and lucky to have.

The 2025 Grand Marshal is Lisa Switzer! Lisa has been a Denver community member since xxxx and has had a storied career in the nonprofit world. From business development and operations to C-Level strategic planning,  her roles have one common thread – they are all mission-based supporting people and communities.

Presenting Sponsor

The parade is organized by volunteers formed and incorporated in 1986 as the Denver St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. The committee is a charitable organization whose members have a deep love for the Irish culture and enjoy sharing that sense of pride with Valley residents.

While people often assume the parade is presented by the City of Denver, this is the 19th year that Bellco Credit Union has been the parade’s presenting sponsor. Created in 1936, Bellco Credit Union has more than 368,000 members and over $8 billion in assets.

“The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade represents a strong sense of community for us, and we’re proud to be a part of it.” says Senior Vice President & Chief Retail Officer John Rivera.

Viewing, Weather

Protein Pie: Originating from Ireland and England, Shepherd’s Pie with minced lamb or mutton is on the menu of most Irish Pubs. Pies with beef are called cottage pies.

To catch the parade’s full performances — including dancing, music sets, etc. — the best spot is generally considered to be south of 20th Ave. on Blake St., which is also the most crowded with attendees arriving as early as 6 a.m. to stake out a spot.

If you hope to avoid larger crowds, a great place for prime viewing is at the end of the parade on Blake St. from 23rd to 27th Avenues.

Remember this is March — the 5th coldest month of the year in Denver — and weather is unpredictable. Temperatures be­gin the month with a normal low of 22 degrees and high of 50 degrees. The month ends with 30-degree low temps and highs at about 58 degrees.

Runnin’ O’ The Green

To stay in shape to run through the weekend’s Irish activities, participate in this year’s Runnin’ O’ The Green March 9 at Wash Park. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.

The 7K “Lucky 7” kicks off at 10 a.m. followed by the 2-mile “Leprechaun Leap” run-walk at 10:05 a.m.

Don’t run away, there’s a day filled with Irish fun, live music, and awards. A post-race Festival-Expo features Irish music & dancers. The event also includes a Beer Garden.

Classic Celtic Music

Music during St. Patrick’s Day this year in Denver features Celtic groups, acoustic bands, and Irish music bands. This year’s St. Paddy’s Parade (2025) is featuring several bands, including the Michael Collins Pipes & Drums, Nerea the Fiddler, Altan, and The Young Dubliners.

Young Dubs: Irish-American rock band The Young Dubliners entertain at Swallow Hill’s Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m.

Irish-American rock band The Young Dub­liners entertain at Swallow Hill’s ­Daniels Hall March 8, 8 p.m. They’re followed March 9 by the traditional Irish band Altan playing at Lone Tree Arts Center, 7 p.m. Another must-see is jigs and reels band Gobs O’ Phun playing at Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theater on March 15, 8 p.m.

An additional St. Paddy’s Day highlight not to be missed is Celtic Awakening playing at the Newman Center March 15-16, 2:30 p.m. Irish tenor soloist Todd Teske entertains. Or, on a St. Paddy’s weekend evening, dress in green, white, and orange and dance a jig at Fortissimo Dueling Pianos on 14th St.

Irish Pub Grub

Yearning for a taste of Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year?

Send Family Over: The Irish Rover along South Broadway in the Historic Baker district is among the top traditional Irish Pubs remaining in Denver.

Denver’s Irish pubs — the traditional haunts for Irish cuisine and beer — continue to decline in numbers or maybe simply morphing into a different era. There are just a wee bit more than a dozen remaining in the Mile High City and several have closed their kitchens. Two of the largest — Fado across from Coors Field, and Maggie Smith’s in Centennial closed. Clancy’s Irish Pub — the Valley’s oldest and longest running Pub — relocated to Wheat Ridge.

Restaurants that offered holiday choices such as corned beef & cabbage on St. Paddy’s Day are also mostly gone. Cherry Creek North’s Cherry Cricket, nonetheless, still offers Corned Beef & Cabbage with Guinness or green beer. Glendale doesn’t have an Irish Pub. Bull & Bush is an English Pub, but it does serve pub classics like fish and chips.

For family dining, the Abby Tavern on East Colfax is easily the best choice. Owner Glen Eastwood spent more than 10 years managing Pubs (Fado & Chasey’s Bistro & Pub). Irish choices include fish & chips, Shepherd’s Pie, an Irish breakfast, plus a Reuben sandwich. Moreover, there are also plenty of American options including burgers.

Among the more traditional Irish Pubs, the two along South Broadway in the historic Baker district are good choices. The Irish Rover has tacos, burgers, and pizza for the kids in addition to fish & chips and shepherd’s pie. Just off Broadway on E. Ellsworth Ave., Dougherty’s Pub — with one of the best pub kitchens in town — boasts authentic Irish cuisine such as Belfast Chicken, Bangers & Mash, and Denver’s best Shepherd’s Pie. They also annually host one of the best St Patrick’s Day street-parties in Denver.