DENVER – The Downtown Denver Partnership (Partnership) announced today the beginning of the next phase of planning for the 5280 Loop, an initiative that will create a world-class urban trail and transform how the public right-of-way is used in Downtown Denver. The Partnership’s vision for the 5280 Loop to “link neighborhoods and connect people” supports several goals outlined in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan — the 20-year strategy for Downtown Denver — including creating a walkable and bicycle city, embracing adjacent neighborhoods, and ensuring vibrant shared public spaces.
Beginning July 29, center city residents, employees and visitors will see tree tape, sidewalk stencils and other materials marking the 5.280-mile-long conceptual route of the 5280 Loop in advance of several events where the community can learn more and engage in the planning and design process. Community members can also experience the potential of the 5280 Loop at The Square on 21st, a pop-up park on 21st Street between Larimer and Lawrence developed in partnership with the City and County of Denver, that will be open through August 15.
“The 5280 Loop is a bold, visionary project that will connect the center city’s unique and diverse amenities, while creating a powerful sense of place within our vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods where 80,000 people now live,” said Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Project. “This is an initiative that will transform our center city for generations to come, and we are excited to showcase its potential to the community and gather their input as we create a conceptual design.”
The 5280 Loop will create shared public spaces that prioritize biking and walking and connect several of Downtown’s cultural and civic facilities, parks and public spaces. The following programs will support the launch of the formal planning and design process:
Marking the 5280 Loop: Saturday, July 29
40 volunteers from the Partnership’s Downtown Denver Leadership Program and CityBuild Initiative will join project planners in marking the conceptual route from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Community Block Parties: Friday, August 4
Block parties featuring live music, chalk art, games and more provide an opportunity for the community to learn more and engage in the planning process:
Mariposa District Block Party: 10th Street and Osage Street – 4 to 7 p.m.
Happy Hour: 17th Street and Sherman Street – 3 to 6 p.m.
Experience the 5280 Loop Pop-Up Workshops: Saturday, August 12
Seven tents will “pop-up” along the 5280 Loop for community members to share their experiences and inform the vision for the project.
Two block parties will also take place on August 12 at The Square on 21st (21st Street between Larimer and Lawrence) from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and at 14th and Wynkoop Streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Partnership has retained Civitas, a Denver-based landscape architecture and urban design firm, as the lead consultant on the planning and design process. The 5280 Loop is made possible in part through funding support from the Colorado Health Foundation, the Gates Family Foundation and Unico Properties. The engagement events listed above are also supported by the 2017 class of the Downtown Denver Leadership Program.
This phase of the planning process is expected to yield a conceptual design by Fall 2018. Additional opportunities for the community to engage in the planning of the 5280 Loop will be announced later this summer.
To learn more, including a map of the conceptual route of the 5280 Loop, visit 5280loop.com.
