Denver Breaks Ground on Civic Center Next 100 Project, Launching a Major Redesign of the Historic Park

DENVER, CO – Denver has officially broken ground on the Civic Center Next 100 Project, marking the start of a multi year effort to revitalize the city’s most important public space. Denver Parks and Recreation was joined Wednesday morning by Mayor Mike Johnston, Councilman Chris Hinds, the Civic Center Conservancy, the Denver Downtown Development Authority, and the design team at Studio Gang to celebrate the beginning of construction.

The project focuses on Denver’s first National Historic Landmark and will reimagine Civic Center Park for the next century with improvements aimed at accessibility, cultural programming, public gatherings, and everyday use. The work centers on three major components: the Greek Theater, the Central Promenade, and the South Plaza.

A Fifty Million Dollar First Phase

The first phase is a fifty million dollar design and construction effort. Thirty million dollars comes from the Denver Downtown Development Authority, with additional funding provided by Denver Parks and Recreation, the Elevate Denver Bond program, grants, and early private fundraising. The project aims to make the park more functional, accessible, and welcoming by modernizing historic infrastructure and creating new spaces for events and daily activations.

Officials emphasized that the transformation maintains Civic Center Park’s historic design while preparing it for contemporary use. Planned improvements include:

• A fully reoriented Greek Theater with modern staging capabilities
• A new arched canopy supporting lighting, sound, and weather protection
• An improved seating bowl with better sightlines
• Accessible pathways throughout the park
• A new plaza honoring the Gang of 19 protest and the city’s role in disability rights
• Redesigned garden rooms, plantings, and gathering areas guided by landscape architect OLIN

A New Civic Destination

Anchored between the Golden Triangle, the Cultural Complex, and Capitol Hill, Civic Center Park is positioned to play a larger role in downtown Denver’s recovery and long term growth. The redesign strengthens connections to surrounding neighborhoods while opening up the site for more programming and public use.

According to the design team, the historic Greek Theater will become a monumental gateway to a new amphitheater and performance space, rather than functioning as the primary stage. The reconfigured layout addresses long standing accessibility issues, removes barriers, and creates a more seamless pedestrian experience across the 12 acre park.

Project Schedule

Civic Center Next 100 is a multiyear project. Key milestones include:

• Final design of Phase One: Q1 2024 to Q3 2025
• Start of Phase One construction: Q4 2025
• Substantial completion of Phase One: Q2 2027

While construction will close the central portion of the park, surrounding areas near Broadway Terrace and the Voorhies Memorial will remain open with limited access for activations.

Design Team

Lead Design: Studio Gang
Landscape Architect: OLIN
Associate Landscape Architect: Mundus Bishop
Associate Architect: Studiotrope Design Collective
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
MEP Engineer: Ramirez, Johnson, and Associates
Civil Engineer: Aschermann Consulting
Lighting Consultant: HLB Lighting Design
Theater, Acoustics, AV and IT Consultant: Charcoalblue
Cost Consultant: Venue

All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.

---

See more behind the build on Denver’s greatest construction projects

Get a deeper dive on the who, what, when and why behind the city’s greatest construction projects with our premium member content.

Interested in sponsorship? Learn more about our sponsors and how to get involved.

All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.