Denver philanthropists Scott Miller and Tim Gill have donated $125,000 to support reconstruction of the City Park bandstand after a devastating, mysterious fire engulfed the iconic structure in March.
Miller was jogging by the bandstand last week in City Park and noticed its sorry state, the mayor’s office and others told The Denver Post on Wednesday. That prompted him to talk to Gill, his husband and a tech entrepreneur, about boosting its rehabilitation with a donation.
On top of other donations, Miller and Gill’s matching $125,000 grant brings the fundraising total to $250,000, said Frank Rowe of , the nonprofit that’s coordinating donations and administering the money.
The fund will cover the deductible required by the city’s insurance to rebuild the bandstand, sparing taxpayers from having to pay for any part of the project, according to Denver Parks and Recreation, minus future upgrades or improvements. The fire required the City Park Jazz series to use a temporary mobile stage for its 2026 season this summer.
“We had raised $125,579 already from more than 900 donors,” Rowe said. “These were individuals giving anywhere from the $5 that (9News anchor) Kyle Clark , to one woman who gave $10,000.”
Miller and Gill’s gift, however, comes directly from their own charitable fund and doubles the total raised by City Park Alliance, City Park Friends and Neighbors, and Denver Parks and Recreation. The actual rebuilding costs — including permits, demolition, design fees and other costs — are expected to be fully covered by the insurance payout.
The total cost for the project is still being determined, according to Denver Parks and Recreation.
Officials hope workers can begin dismantling the bandstand in mid-September, although they’re waiting for federally protected barn swallows to fly the coop before they can begin, said Katie Russell, the project manager for the bandstand reconstruction.
“It’s a bit of a moving target because the birds are currently nesting in the structure,” she said. “We’re not allowed to touch anything until they’ve fledged, but our wildlife specialists have been going out there every week to check if there are still nests, eggs and babies.”
Once the birds are gone, demolition can begin, said Russell. Her team selected Western States Demolition for that, to be followed by permits and construction; a contract for the latter has not yet been announced. The fast-tracked project is expected to be completed by June, just in time for the new summer season of .
“That’s pretty quick turnaround for a government project,” Russell said. “But it’s unique because there are a lot of eyes on this and a ton of people care about that bandstand.”
Denver firm Mundus Bishop is leading the design phase, with Nan Anderson as architect and AE Design for electrical work. They will make minimal changes to the design of the former structure, for both historic preservation and community reasons, with the blessing of the . And bringing it back is important, Russell said, since the city’s permitting office is losing money on rentals for weddings, parties and other events as the site sits dormant.
“The bandstand is an iconic feature in one of Denver’s most beloved parks,” Rowe said. “For decades, it’s been the backdrop for summer concerts, weddings, prom photos, and a symbol of the simple joy that public parks bring to our daily lives.”
The cause of the fire is still a mystery, public safety officials said in a recent update on Aug. 14, including whether the fire was accidental or set intentionally.
“Denver is home for Tim and me, and City Park is one of those rare places that truly belongs to everyone,” Miller said in a statement. “What happened to the bandstand was a real loss, but the response to it says something important about this city: people immediately came together around something that we all value. We wanted to recognize and build on that extraordinary community effort.”
While the site itself is historic, the bandstand that burned was built in 1994, with technical updates in the early 2000s.
