Denver’s plan to reconstruct the 16th Street Mall recently took a major step forward, with the completion of the project’s environmental phase. The City and County of Denver and project partners the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA), and Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) will next initiate the process to select a design/build contractor to reconstruct the 16th Street Mall including gathering feedback from the community on key components of the reconstruction process.
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 marks 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 (see attached graphic). During the process, the project partners engaged with a wide variety of interested parties, including businesses, residents, historic preservationists, advocates for people living with disabilities, and the broader public to recommend a preliminary design for reconstruction of The Mall that expands sidewalks for walking, café seating and other activities, and moves transit lanes to the center or offset-center of each block.
The project now moves into the final design and construction phase which will include additional opportunities for the public to give input into key aspects of the construction process and The Mall Experience.
When fully completed, the project will replicate the historic and iconic aspects of the Mall; improve pedestrian safety and mobility on the city’s most transit-rich street; and enhance the overall Mall Experience by creating a series of active, engaging opportunities along the corridor to encourage people of all ages to visit often and stay longer.
Visit www.denvergov.org/themallexperience to stay up to date on future opportunities to weigh in on the 16th Street Mall reconstruction project.
