popular public street mall in denver to be reconciled

Construction could begin late next year or in early 2020 on a plan that will change the design of Denver’s busy 16th Street Mall.
 
As now proposed, after months of public input, the joint project between the City of  Denver and the public transit’s Regional Transportation District would emphasize the gathering space aspect of the mall, adding more trees and expanding the 1.2-mile long corridor’s sidewalks.
 
Buses would be relegated to the center of 16th Street between the Union Station and N. Broadway.
 
Altogether, it’s expected to cost up to $130 million for the design and construction of the project, with a final design not expected to be completed until a year from now.
 
One of the most vibrant passenger corridors in Denver, with some estimates showing that up to 40,000 people use the space every day, the 16th Street Mall was opened in 1982.
 
It is valued for being a public gathering space as well as a pedestrian route dotted by more than 300 shops and restaurants.
 
A distinctive feature of the mall is its gray and red paver stones which were designed by the internationally known architects I.M. Pei and Laurie Olin.

By Garry Boulard

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