As unimaginable as it might sound, recent discussions surrounding Civic Center and its future make the 16 acres sound more like a prime piece of real estate than what it really is – a park, an oasis of green in the heart of Denver.
After examining a series of other sites around the cultural complex, the Colorado History Museum has set its sights on constructing a building on the southwest quadrant of the park near the Greek Theatre.
Of course, it is easy to understand why the museum, which is being forced out of its present location at 1300 Broadway, would want to move to Civic Center. It is a highly visible location.
But shouldn’t discussions of such a drastic alteration of this historic site focus more on what’s good for Civic Center and good for the city? After all, such a project would be irreversible for 30 years or more.
The buzz word surrounding the Civic Center is “reactivation.” A huge push has been on for a few years by the Civic Center Conservancy and others to find ways to upgrade the long-neglected park, chase out the vagrants and bring more people to it.
These are all worthy goals, but reactivation has become such an all-encompassing, even obsessive goal that it seems to trump other values such as historic preservation and, perhaps even more important, the fact that Civic Center is a park, not a development opportunity.
The other problem is that the no one appears to be able to actually define what reactivation means. For some people, it suggests transforming the area into even more of a fairground than it already is.
But this vision would seem to run counter to the idea of the history museum in Civic Center. Its building would take up the very space that is already in short supply for festivals, and access to it during such events would be nearly impossible.
Why does reactivation have to be defined by visitor numbers? Why do there have to be throngs of people in Civic Center all the time? Can’t it also be a place for a reflective stroll or a quiet lunch – a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the rest of downtown?
The Colorado Historical Society envisions a four-story building, which would be woefully out of proportion to the rest of the park, blocking the beautiful existing sightlines and taking away the most valuable commodity – green space.
Much has been made of a proposal early in the development of Civic Center for a building that would “balance” the old Carnegie Library on the opposite side, but this was long before the high density of buildings that have come to surround the park. We need openness more than ever.
Before the city contemplates building anything new in Civic Center, it needs to focus on restoring what is already there, refurbishing the former library and finding ways to ensure park security – such as a 24-hour police presence.
It is hard to imagine any more valuable real estate in the world than New York City’s Central Park. Yet to its credit, that city has resisted the temptation to place new structures on that vast tract of land at its core.
Indeed, every time the Metropolitan Museum of Art has sought to expand, defenders of the park have rightly risen up in protest. They understand what is at stake – one of the world’s great parks.
While there are plenty of other suitable places where the Colorado History Museum could relocate, there is only one Civic Center. Once the historic park is ruined – and that is a risk here – it will be virtually impossible to go back and fix it.
Put the Colorado History Museum somewhere else.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
