16th Street Mall Project construction is complete!
Project Closeout Activity
After construction wraps up on each block, the project team may return to complete final tasks such as inspections, adjustments, and minor touch-ups. These activities may require short-term lane closures or the use of cones or fencing around work zones. Examples of types of closeout work include:
Concrete Work
Crews are removing and replacing sections of concrete to correct slope issues. Work zones will be marked with caution tape and cones for safety.
Granite Paver Work
Crews are removing and replacing granite pavers along the pedestrian walkway and the bus transitway to fix uneven surfaces and improve drainage. Expect caution tape and cones around active work areas.
Level of Green (LOG) Work
At intersection corners, crews are adjusting elevation of soil, refreshing the mulch, replacing plants and reinstalling railings as needed.
Traffic Signal Work
Crews are accessing underground pull boxes and may use a manlift to adjust traffic signal lights. Temporary traffic control will be set up as needed.
Installation of Final Furnishings, Fixtures and Equipment
The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) installs the final furnishings, fixtures and equipment along 16th Street. The installation of the final touches, including furniture, planters, trash cans and other special elements that will introduce the New Look on 16th Street, may occur after Phase 3 of construction is complete, depending on the BID's schedule, timelines of deliveries and weather. These activities could have safety fencing or cones around them, but only in the area where crews are working. The BID will work directly with property owners to coordinate patio installations following the installation of these final touches.
The New Look
Before and After!
The new 16th Street Mall features elements designed to help make it a desirable, engaging destination for all. Site furnishings, play features and moments of joy are being distributed up and down 16th Street in relationship to activity areas and adjacent land uses.
- Site Furnishings include items like tables, chairs, benches, shade structures, planters and other things that create a space for people to spend time.
- Play Features are structures designed specifically for engaging kids on 16th Street.
- Moments of Joy are elements designed to bring a bit of delight to 16th Street; they make you smile, pause for a moment or snap a photo to share.
- Check out the maps below for the planned locations of each element along 16th Street:
The ensemble of these features will work together to create attractions and moments of relaxation and fun for families, residents, visitors and workers to enjoy in the core of downtown.
Site Furnishings
The site furnishings will be organized into three basic room types — feast, lounge and arrow — to create places for a multitude of uses.
- Feast rooms are designed with food in mind. They create space to share lunch with a friend or eat solo and catch up on your emails on a beautiful day.
- Lounge rooms create space to slow down and stay for a bit. Visitors can take a moment to plan their next stop, downtown employees can pause in the shade for a moment between meetings and residents can enjoy the people watching for a while.
- Arrow rooms activate an area while also creating a clear delineation of space.
These site furnishing room types will be paired with planter pots for visual color and interest and all furnishing groupings will be flexible, changeable and phased as a new evolution of place making and sensory experiences along 16th Street evolve for everyone’s enjoyment.
Play Features
Play Features
Play Features are structures designed specifically for engaging kids on 16th Street. Scan the QR code to view a 360 degree rendering of the Hive play feature.
360 Degree Rendering of Hive Play Feature
Moments of Joy
Moments of Joy are elements designed to bring a bit of delight to 16th Street; they make you smile, pause for a moment or snap a photo to share. Scan the QR codes to view 360 degree renderings of the Moments of Joy.
360 Degree Renderings:
Cutthroat Trout
Grasslands
Scattered Leaves
The 16th Street Mall Project builds on nearly a decade of planning and community input to inform how we reconstruct and revitalize the Mall from Market Street to Broadway. The feedback and input from hundreds of community members resulted in today’s effort to rebuild 16th Street to be not just more structurally sound, but also a welcoming space where all people can gather.
Environmental Assessment
The project’s environmental phase concluded in December 2019. FTA found the project to have no significant impact on environmental resources and officially issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) on Nov. 26, 2019. This marked completion of the Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA identified a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) to reconstruct the 16th Street Mall between Market Street and Broadway to address infrastructure, mobility, safety, and public use needs.
Finding of No Significant Impact
May 2019 EA Public Meeting
Members of the public were invited to attend public meetings to provide input on the project and EA conclusions. The same information was presented at two meetings on May 1, 2019.
FTA and the project partners reviewed and considered all comments. All comments received during the comment period will be part of the project record. Responses to all substantive comments (those that raise specific issues or concerns regarding the project or EA process, suggest new alternatives, or question or raise concerns over new impacts not addressed in the EA) will be included in the final decision document.
Environmental Clearance and Funding: Because 16th Street was built in 1982 with federal funds, any potential modifications must undergo a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and a cultural resources evaluation pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). Initial project funding for the Alternatives Analysis and Environmental Clearance came from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) via Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). TIF requires that a design project be identified by 2020 and spent by 2022. As approved by voters, 2017 General Obligation Bonds might also be applied.
Public Engagement Archive
2022: 90% Design
In March 2022 a round of outreach was completed to accompany 90% Design and to inform stakeholders about what to expect once construction begins.
Watch the 90% design video
2021: 60% Design
In late 2021, the 16th Street Mall Project team completed another round of outreach to accompany the submittal of 60% design. This round focused on providing design updates for various amenities along 16th Street — shade structures, play elements and more. This video was recorded at one of the focus group meetings and focuses on how design of 16th Street amenities has evolved over the years, and the current design for elements along the 16th Street Mall.
Watch the 60% design video