LAKEWOOD — Construction barricades will be a regular sight for much of the next year at the Lakewood Civic Center as work ramps up on a $5 million overhaul of the driveway, plaza and parking garage.
Crews are focusing first on rebuilding the drive aisle, which provides vehicle access and surface parking in front of the Lakewood Cultural Center and the council chambers and city office building to the south.
No parking or vehicle access is currently allowed on the north, cultural center side. Some underground parking beneath the construction zone is also blocked off.
“We have lost some parking both above and underneath, but there’s still enough parking here for the general public and all of our employees,” said Jerry Goldman, project manager for the city.
“We’re working hand in hand with the people at the cultural center to make sure it’s working for them,” he said. “Our goal is to make it work for the general public, the cultural center and our employees.”
Once the north drive is complete, crews will turn their focus to the south portion in front of the council chambers, Goldman said.
The $1.2 million drive aisle project — the first of two construction phases — should be done by the end of the year, although Goldman warned that weather delays could push it into next spring.
A recent structural analysis showed that the drive aisle — actually the roof of the underground parking garage — could no longer structurally support the weight of school buses and other vehicles of similar size. Height restriction bars had been placed on either end of the drive to prevent buses from entering in the interim.
“We need to beef those up so we can be able to use buses and transport all our customers to the cultural center,” Goldman said.
The second phase of the project should begin next year and focus on repairing the plaza area between the buildings and the parking garage below.
The cracked, deteriorating concrete will be replaced by modular pavers and a snow-melt system.
The city also plans to install energy efficient lighting and new planters and platforms for public art, Goldman said.
“When we do the plaza, parking will again be a challenge, but we’ll make it work,” Goldman said. “We’re going to have to phase the plaza construction so we don’t shut down all the doors at one time.”
Up-to-date information about the construction is available online at , city spokeswoman Stacie Oulton said.
An aerial photo, highlighting which parking areas are closed and which are still open, will also be updated as the project progresses, she said.
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, erusch@denverpost.com or
