Denver Releases Updated Design for 5280 Trail Segment Along Acoma Street
DENVER, CO – The City and County of Denver has released updated renderings and design plans for the Acoma Street segment of the 5280 Trail, an envisioned 5.28-mile urban trail and linear park that will connect neighborhoods, cultural destinations, and public spaces around downtown Denver.
Rendering of Acoma Street Project | Courtesy City & County of Denver
The project focuses on two blocks of Acoma Street between 10th and 12th Avenues, located just south of the Denver Art Museum in the Civic Center neighborhood. Funded through Denver's voter-approved RISE Bond Program, the project is intended to create a safer and more inviting public space while strengthening connections between destinations throughout the area.
Rather than functioning as a traditional city street, the redesigned corridor is envisioned as a shared street where pedestrians, cyclists, public art, and community activities take priority while still allowing limited vehicle access. The latest design plans show a series of flexible public spaces featuring landscaped garden areas, event plazas, seating areas, traffic calming features, bike parking, and opportunities for temporary art installations.
According to project materials, the design draws from the vision established in the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan and the broader 5280 Trail framework, which identifies the Acoma Street corridor as a key neighborhood connection and a destination focused on arts, culture, and community gathering.
Rendering of Acoma Street Project | Courtesy City & County of Denver
Several design elements are intended to support both everyday use and larger community events. The corridor would feature programmable plaza spaces capable of hosting performances, food vendors, public art displays, and neighborhood events, while quieter landscaped garden rooms would provide additional seating, shade, and opportunities for relaxation. New trees, native plantings, water quality gardens, and pedestrian-oriented improvements are also planned throughout the corridor.
The project would maintain access for emergency vehicles and adjacent properties while reducing the amount of space dedicated to vehicle movement. Plans also include raised intersections, expanded pedestrian crossing areas, and other traffic calming measures designed to improve safety for people walking and biking through the area.
In addition to the Acoma Street improvements, city planners have also completed a conceptual study examining future connections between the 5280 Trail and Sunken Gardens Park. While funding has not yet been identified for construction of that future segment, the concept would extend the trail westward toward the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood through a combination of new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
The Acoma Street segment is currently in the final stages of design, with design completion anticipated in Summer 2026. Construction is expected to begin in Fall 2026 and continue through late 2027.
Rendering of Acoma Street Project | Courtesy City & County of Denver
Development Team
Owner: City and County of Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI)
Partner: Downtown Denver Partnership
FundingSource: 2021 RISE Denver GO Bond Program
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.
4 minute read • A new proposal would redevelop an existing office property at 7901 East Lowry Boulevard into a 278-unit residential community with a mix of market-rate and affordable housing in Denver's Lowry neighborhood.