A project to spend $28.5 million on new installations in the Civic Center Park area meets criticism
Gov. Jared Polis is hoping Coloradans will give him feedback on the “Colorado150 Pedestrian Walkway.” The proposed walkway includes a re-design of Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, up to 20 public art pieces, and a pedestrian overpass over Lincoln Street at the Colorado State Capitol.
On June 26, the project cleared its first major planning milestone- it got approved by the Capitol Building Advisory Committee with an 8-4 vote. Since then, it has gained clear and loud criticism.
Historic Denver, a local non-profit that “works every day to promote and protect Denver’s historic places and spaces” has released a petition against the project.
In addition, Gov. Polis’ office is directly seeking feedback on the project, via a 4-question survey available online until Monday, July 21.
The proposal is for $28.5 million in funding, of which $18 million would go on the bridge and walkway, and the remainder would go towards what the initiative website calls “activation” of the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park and Capitol Grounds.
Of that $28.5 million, the current proposal is to limit Colorado state contributions of public funds to $8.5 million.
In November 2024, the original proposal for what has now become this walkway project was released by the governor’s office. At that time, full proposal plans were supposed to be delivered by January of this year.
The designs came after the state spent 1.5 million dollars to hire an out-of-state firm.
According to Studio Gang, the Chicago-based firm Polis commissioned for the designs of this walkway, the installation would be 11,000 square-feet.
You can read and support Historic Denver’s petition to oppose the walkway, here.
You can also fill out the governor’s survey online via this link.
