DENVER (KDVR) — Denver is buzzing with national attention and some foot traffic from nationally broadcast football games this week. One of the places the city hopes will reclaim its fame as a hotspot is 16th Street. The revamped version is set to open soon.
Of course, city leaders expect to see more green — as in dollars flowing in from guests.
Designers who worked on the project said visitors should expect to see a different type of green when they come out.
“The more we can get workers, residents and visitors back to 16th Street is helping to be this investment in public infrastructure that really drives the vitality in terms of the downtown environment,” said Bill Vitek, a longtime architect with Dig Studio. He said revamping 16th Street in Denver was no easy task.
“It’s one of these projects that is probably, technically, been one of the most challenging that I’ve ever worked on. Just given the paving systems, the large trees that we’ve planted and the underground soil cell structure that we put in to help support growth of these trees for the long term to really grow and be a longtime part of the urban tree canopy in downtown Denver,” Vitek said.
About 200 new trees are planted underground along the shopping and entertainment area. It may not sound like a big deal, but designers said the trees help keep pedestrians cool and help the city expand its tree canopy, which is behind other major cities. The design team also kept all the new family-friendly features of the space Colorado-centered.
“Everything has a Colorado environmental theme to it. So we have the cut-throat tout, we have the grasslands, which is up at the far end of the mall towards the civic center, then we have another installation midway through the mall called scattered leaves. Those are actually metal leaves that look like they’re leaves that have dropped from the trees. But on the lower ones, when you step on them, they actually activate sound. So they become an interactive element as well,” Vitek explained.
The regrand opening is set to take place 43 years after the 16th Street Mall originally opened in 1982. You may remember, people in Denver had some questions for the mayor about what exactly would be different about this area when he unveiled the restructure earlier this year, but revealed its new name would still be 16th Street, just without the mall.
Architects behind the $175 million transformation project said they want people to be able to enjoy themselves outdoors when they visit.
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