Fresh ideas for rejuvenating Denver’s Civic Center are popping up like springtime dandelions, a healthy sign for the city’s central public space.
City officials commissioned a master plan for the area in 2004, but the problems and potential of Civic Center didn’t get much public attention until this August, when the Civic Center Conservancy trotted out a conceptual plan done by architect Daniel Libeskind, designer of the just-opened Hamilton wing of the Denver Art Museum.
Everyone seems to agree that the 16-acre park between the state Capitol and the City and County Building needs a makeover. But the Libeskind vision, with a large water plaza, a tower and a flyover bridge, sparked criticism. The influential Downtown Denver Partnership last month called for a design competition and extensive public involvement in Civic Center’s future.
There are plenty of other ideas out there. Eight local architects and urban planners have drawn up ideas to make the site more vibrant and attractive. Those concepts were showcased at a Wednesday night public hearing, the last of several held recently.
One proposal involves converting the McNichols Building at the northwest corner of the park into a restaurant. Tavern on the Green in New York’s Central Park comes to mind. Such a feature could draw people into the park from downtown or from the art museum and library.
Other suggestions include fountains, new artwork, moving the state museum to the park and even a bridge connecting the Capitol to the park.
Attracting more people to the park on a regular basis is a widely held wish. Big events like Taste of Colorado, Cinco de Mayo and Martin Luther King Day observances attract big crowds a few times each year, but on most days Civic Center is left to vagrants (a constant annoyance to city officials and business leaders) and pedestrians quickly crossing from one side to the other. The conservancy organized a farmers’ market last summer.
What happens next?
There’s no timetable yet for fixing up Civic Center – and no money to pay for it. The city’s parks and recreation advisory board will hear a report about the public hearings on Jan. 11.
After that, the city deserves a lively and fully open process to shape a plan for Civic Center’s future. And the conservancy, which has a mandate to raise private funds for improvements, deserves the community’s support.
Denver already has two major projects on its plate, the Justice Center and the Union Station redevelopment, plus longstanding needs at the Botanic Gardens, the National Western Stock Show and in basic infrastructure. All must be balanced thoughtfully as the city looks to the future.
