Life on Capitol Hill — April 2015

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Life on Capitol Hill

Life on Capitol Hill• APRIL 2015

Capitol Hill • Cheesman Park • City Park West • Congress Park • Uptown • Alamo Placita

Country Club • Cherry Creek North • South City Park • The Golden Triangle

APRIL 2015

City Park a Landmark District? Master plan revision ahead as committee explores possibility of designation By J. Patrick O’Leary

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istoric Denver hosted a public meeting to discuss designating City Park as a local landmark on Feb. 24, drawing about 50 people. Held at the L2 Church, East Colfax and Columbine, the gathering was the first opportunity for citizens to “engage in exploratory work” done by the City Park Historic Designation Exploration Committee, a stakeholder group convened last summer by Historic Denver, according to Executive Director Annie Levinsky. She said it was too soon to know if and when the designation would be pursued, or what the community’s opinion is. “It’s always hard to use 50 people to show community consensus,” Levinsky said. “There’s definitely interest in the idea. People see the advantages, and the committee will continue to work on the process—we’re looking at the next steps.” The meeting was the first step in a four-phase process of exploration, outreach and education, planning, and implementation, according to Levinsky. Since its creation in July 2014, the committee has reviewed the 2001 City Park Master Plan—“Revitalizing the Legacy of City Park”—which included a historic assessment. The Plan recommended the local landmark designation to raise awareness of the park’s history. The committee also studied the impact of the park’s current National Register of Historic Places designation, as well as the difference between local, state and National Register landmarks, and determined that the historic designation would not affect use of the park, only its physical attributes. The committee looked at how landmark designation is used in the management of Civic Center Park, the only regional park current See CITY PARK on page 2

Two Way Bike Lane Proposed for Broadway Cyclists currently avoid Broadway due to high auto congestion By Jason McKinney

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icyclists make up a large portion of the commuters who make their way to and from work in Denver each day. Many areas of the city currently do not have bike lanes for those who pedal their way everywhere. There is currently a proposal being explored that would add a protected bike lane along Broadway, one of the busiest north-south arteries in Denver. There is also a chance that the two way bike lane could extend beyond, running from I-25 north to I-70. The city has allocated $200,000 this year for viewing proposals for the lane, which would run from I-25 to 12th. Part of the process will include hiring a consultant to consider all viable options. This would be a part of the Denver Moves bike plan, a task force established in 2011 and designed to expand the city for non-motorized transportation and recreation, and identifying… “the next phase of priorities for making bicycle and multi-use connections in the Mile High City”. The main focus of the task force is to integrate existing off and on street networks to create safer, more comfortable corridors linking neighborhoods, parks, business districts and other high profile destinations within Denver. Already confirmed and in the works is a raised cycle track which will run along Brighton and will be separated from the road between 29th and 44th. There is also a potential bike lane, approved by City Council last year, which would run between Colfax and Speer. However, it is still at least a few years from being realized. Currently, there is a one way protected bike lane that separates cars from bike riders with a brick-colored strip on 15th between Cleveland and Larimer. Many cyclists currently avoid Broadway due to high auto congestion. Bicyclists cut down side streets and even ride on the sidewalk, See TWO-LANE on page 4

CITY PARK, enjoyed by the many residents of Denver, may soon become a local landmark. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH

Doors Open Denver Denver classics, then & now By Dina Berta

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limestone gazebo, a birdcage elevator and a stained glass window painstakingly transported to Colorado from London during World War I, are just a few of the many intriguing facets of local buildings the public will get to see during the 11th annual Doors Open Denver event Apr. 25 - 26. With the theme, “Denver Classics, Then and Now,” the weekend event showcases more than 60 sites around the city, including Capitol Hill. Presented by the Denver Architectural Foundation, Doors Open Denver will be headquartered this year at the newly renovated Denver Union Station, a historic landmark at the center of new development projects. “In keeping with the theme, the event will showcase how innovative new public spaces are transforming the urban landscape, while complementing historically beloved buildings,” said Brit Probst, committee chair of Doors Open Denver. Free admission sites include the Historic Sugar Building, the Dry Ice Factory, Redline, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, the Denver Art Museum, the lobby of the Paris Hotel Building, the Source, Converge Denver and TAXI. Tickets also can be purchased for Insider Tours to view areas of buildings not normally open to the pubic. They include a look at mansions on Capitol Hill, the DaVita Building, the D&F Tower and the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab. Tickets range from $5 - $26. Registration will open on Apr. 6 and the proceeds from sales

lifeoncaphill.com

will benefit the non-profit Doors Open Denver. For more information about free sites and tours, as well as paid Insider Tours, visit doors opendenver.com. Some of the feature locations on Capitol Hill include many buildings constructed at the turn of the 20th Century. The Governor’s Mansion, formerly known as the Governor’s Residence at Boettcher Mansion, 400 8th, was built in 1908. Denver business mogul, archiWalter Cheesman, hired archi tectural firm Marean & Norton to design the three-story structure. Cheesman passed away before its completion. His wife Alice lived there, and after her death, the Boettcher family of

Colorado purchased the home and later bequeathed it to the state as a home for governors. In 1960, Gov. Stephen McNichols was the first governor to live in the mansion. Current Gov. John Hickenlooper has declined to stay in the home. The mansion has a portico with Ionic colonnade, an upper terrace with Italianate balustrade and large windows with a magnificent view of Pike’s Peak. A limestone gazebo sits on the east lawn, and tiered gardens with brick walkways lead to the Carriage House at the south end of the property. The interior includes a Colorado Yule marble floor, cross-cut inlaid oak paneling on the walls of the library, 18th Century French chandeliers in the Grand Hallway, and leaded glass windows in the Bar and Palm Room. John Perrenoud, a Swiss na See OPEN DOOR on page 2

THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION, 400 8TH, will be open for tours during Doors Open Denver, Apr. 25-26. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH


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