On September 4, joint venture partners Golub & Company and Formativ, joined by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, officially opened more than four acres of new public parks and open space at Denargo Market, marking a major milestone in the 17-acre redevelopment along the South Platte River.
Mayor Johnston helped welcome the community at the morning press event and highlighted the impact of the development team’s decision to invest in public spaces first. As part of the celebration, fourth- and fifth-grade students from the Downtown Denver Expeditionary School became the first official climbers on Rhingo, a 30-foot-tall climbable steel rhino sculpture named by the community earlier this summer.
“This is an incredible monument to what is possible in the City and County of Denver,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “Before building a single condo or apartment, this team committed to building public space first—parks where kids can play, neighbors can gather and families can enjoy the riverfront. That is a remarkable commitment to putting community first. Many people may not know the history of this site, but they will know it as a place they love to bring their kids, walk their dogs and spend time together. This is the model for what we want to build all across the city: private investment, public partnership and world-class spaces open to everybody.”
The Denargo Market site dates back to 1939, when it served as the heart of Denver’s wholesale grocery market. In 1971, a four-alarm fire, one of the worst in the city’s history, devastated the area, leaving the land largely vacant or dotted with industrial uses for decades until redevelopment efforts began in 2023. The new public realm has transformed this formerly vacant area into a people-first destination designed for gathering, play, and year-round activation.
This “public realm first” approach is rare in large-scale urban redevelopment. By investing $60 million upfront in environmental remediation of a historic landfill, new stormwater management infrastructure, wet and dry utilities, and a new street network with sidewalks, bike lanes, parks, and public amenities before breaking ground on any buildings, the development team has set out to make Denargo Market a true destination from day one.
Following two years of construction, the site is now home to over four acres of riverfront parks, plazas, and green space with new connections to Brighton Boulevard, downtown, and the South Platte River. Anchored by Rhingo, the 30-foot rhino sculpture, the public space includes a nature-based playground, dog park and sport courts, fire pit and pop-jet fountain, half-acre event lawn, and more world-class amenities.
“What was once a vacant, industrial parcel is now a welcoming, people-first place,” said Laura Newman, vice president of investment & development at Golub & Company. “Before a single building went up, we opened more than four acres of public open space—a gift to the neighborhood that people can enjoy right now. From the play tower to the promenade, the plaza to the gardens, every element is meant to spark joy, connection, and pride for this community.”
Later that day, a block party offered the community a first taste of the year-round programming that is ultimately planned for Denargo Market, from food truck pop-ups and outdoor movie nights to fitness classes and community events on the green lawn. Spanning 17 acres along the South Platte River in the RiNo Art District and zoned for 3 million square feet of residential, office, retail and hospitality, Denargo Market is a once-in-a-generation redevelopment and one of the largest urban infill projects currently underway in Denver.
“What we’re delivering today isn’t just for Denargo Market. It’s for Denver,” said Sean Campbell, CEO of Formativ. “These are your parks, this is your riverfront, and this is your neighborhood. Tonight’s block party is just the beginning—the first of many experiences that will make Denargo Market a true 24-hour community where people live, work, gather, and connect.”
