On April 25, the Downtown Denver Partnership presented six awards to transformational projects in downtown Denver that contribute to an economically healthy, growing and vital center city. The event was held at the newly renovated Colorado Convention Center.
The Downtown Denver Award winners are selected by the Downtown Denver Awards Jury, a group of individuals representing a wide variety of industries, companies, and organizations. The jury is responsible for weighing the merits of all the nominations received and voting for the award winners.
The Downtown Denver Award winners are:
Thompson Denver | Watch
Cherished by local staycationers and esteemed global travelers alike, the Thompson Denver remains a beacon of elevated luxury today. In the last two years, Thompson Denver played a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, revitalizing public spaces, and enhancing community connectivity in downtown Denver. The hotel’s strategic partnerships with local businesses, marked by collaborative events, exclusive offers, and support for artisans, significantly bolstered downtown Denver’s economic base. By actively engaging with the local economy, Thompson Denver contributed to the sustained vitality of the downtown business community. By leaving a positive imprint, Thompson Denver has become an integral part of the downtown Denver narrative.
Holidays at Civic Center Park | Watch
The Holidays at Civic Center Park and Denver Christkindlmarket was a winter wonderland in downtown Denver, organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce – Colorado Chapter (GACC-CO), Visit Denver, and Civic Center Conservancy. The market has been running for 23 years – the last three of which have been in Civic Center Denver. During its tenure in Civic Center, the market has brought hundreds of thousands of people and attracted additional winter activations like Visit Denver’s Mile High Tree. In 2023, over 350,000 people visited Civic Center in downtown Denver despite challenges in parking, weather, hotels, and perception. They brought Denver’s community and beyond together to experience food, music, art, and joy in the Heart of Denver and bolstered the downtown economy. Civic Center, which inherently acts as a gateway between the Golden Triangle/Cultural Complex and the 16th Street Mall, made travel among downtown neighborhoods easy. This event made downtown an “International Downtown” – recognizing and celebrating German culture while welcoming cultures from all over. Landing the USA Today Top10 award solidified the market as a worldwide destination.
Colorado Convention Center | Watch
The expansion of the Colorado Convention Center is poised to make a significant and sustaining contribution to the vibrancy and economic vitality of Downtown Denver. As a cornerstone of the city’s events and meetings infrastructure, the new expansion is expected to bring about multifaceted benefits. The increased capacity and modern amenities of the expanded Convention Center will attract a greater number of large-scale events, conferences and conventions to the city center. As Downtown Denver becomes increasingly recognized as a premier destination for major events, this investment serves not only the immediate needs of event attendees but also benefits the everyday lives of downtown residents, creating a more livable and connected urban environment.
CSU Spur | Watch
Located at the tail end of downtown Denver, CSU Spur strives to connect urban and rural communities by bringing awareness and appreciation of the food system, water, and health to a broad audience, engaging the next generation in various careers, and creating innovation to serve rural communities. As a free public offering of a university system and its urban location, CSU Spur creates connections and appreciation for rural communities in Colorado and will continue to work to honor CSU’s rural and agricultural roots.
Art Studios | Watch
Art Studios is an exemplary model of how to transform a vacant commercial building into a thriving residential community. While honoring and preserving the building’s historic roots to the Art Institute of Colorado, this adaptive reuse project provides a sense of community through its unique common space amenities and innovative micro units. Walkable to most of the major companies in the downtown core, residents can enjoy easy access to the vibrant offerings of the Golden Triangle neighborhood and explore downtown.
Capitol Square Apartments | Watch
Financed with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) issued by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), Capitol Square Apartments provides affordable housing for young families and downtown workforce participants with transit opportunities in the immediate area (Civic Center Station and the Broadway/Lincoln commuter corridor) give outstanding access to the entire center city and beyond. By providing the resources and support needed to allow a development like the Capitol Square Apartments to be built, the City and County of Denver was supportive in providing funding through HOST and working with the development team in moving this project through the entitlement process to allow construction on this site.
2024 LEGACY AWARD HONOREE
Bill Mosher
Bill Mosher has dedicated much of his life and career to building a stronger, more dynamic city. His impact on downtown Denver will be felt for generations to come, and – particularly in these pivotal times for our center city – the Downtown Denver Partnership could not be more grateful to Bill for his leadership and vision.
