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JUNE 2015
Naming process begins, bids sought for adjacent retail site By J. Patrick O’Leary
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roundbreaking for the new five-level, 60,000 sq. ft. Central Denver Recreation Center at Colfax and Josephine is now set for September, as city officials finalize its design, solicit petitions to name the building, and seek a buyer for an adjacent parcel of retail land to raise additional funds. “The project team is hard at work and moving right along,” said Jeff Green of Denver Parks and Recreation. “We have site plans and initial design drawings done and are on track to break ground on the site this fall. We anticipate an 18-month construction process and upon completion Denver residents will have access to one of the newest and most state-of-the-art urban recreation centers in the country.” About 50 people attended the most recent public meeting the evening of May 6 at East High School, where city officials provided an update on the project. Artist’s renderings for the design were unveiled at the meeting. Brick construction relieved by large windows will provide a “transparent” feel, allowing people outside to the see activity within, and those inside to see the city and Front Range. Outdoor amenity areas will be included, but the existing dog park – located on the northwest corner – will be reduced in size from 44,000 sq. ft. to 9,700. The current budget of $24.8 million provides for a “base” facility that will include an eight-lane competitive lap pool with diving board; warm-water leisure pool with waterslide and zero-depth entry; a gym large enough for one full-sized basketball court; and a panoply of fitness, community and administrative rooms. An 11 percent contingency fund is built into the budget. If unused, officials want to use it for additional amenities, such as a $400,000 elevated walk/jog track in the gym, a $330,000 climbing wall on the exterior, a rooftop event space with catering kitchen, a bouldering area, and improvements to the plaza and walkway behind Sullivan Gate. If built, the add-ons will increase the rec center’s size to 70,000 sq. ft. See REC CENTER on page 2
The World Class Westin-DIA Takes Flight By Nancy Foster While it's been a long time in the making, to witness the WestinDIA emerge onto Colorado's vast Eastern Plains is indeed exciting. The 519-room hotel is a prominent fixture on the landscape now, and has piqued the curiosity of the citizenry regarding the significance of the hotel's design. It took donning a hard hat, safety glasses, a flourescent yellow vest, gloves and pink rubber boots on a Mid-May tour of the active construction site, for me to learn the hotel's design has been dubbed, “Bird in Flight.” The dip in the design, we were told, provides a view of the airport for pilots. Some wags have instead referred to the 433,000 sq. ft., 14-story hostelry as either a Phoenix Rising from the ashes, a mustache, half of a bow tie, a container ship or even the Mayflower, the vessel that carried the Pilgrims from England to the shores of New England in 1620. This isn't the first significant structure to grace Denver International Airport's property since its opening 20 years ago. Also creating buzz over the years, and continuing to do so, is Luis Jimenez's controversial fiery-eyed sculpture, “Blue Mustang.” In the end, its completion proved to be a tragedy for the artist, who was killed in 2006 after he was struck by a large piece of the giant 32 ft. high electric blue fiberglass artwork, which fell on Jimenez severing an artery in his leg. The new hotel and public plaza are scheduled to open in November and are a welcome and convenient addition for travelers coming and going from, or through “The Mile High City” or to other locales in the Rocky Mountain region. “Group bookings are already being made for early December,” said Susan Stiff, area director of public relations for Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. In her role, she represents the Sheraton Denver and Westin Denver, both downtown, and the Westin Denver International Airport locations. See WESTIN on page 3
PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
ALL AGES ENJOY THE BUNGEE JUMPING STATION, just one of the myriad of activities to participate in, at the People’s Fair.
The People’s Fair Provides Community Summertime Fun By Jason McKinney
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he 44th annual People’s Fair, Colorado’s third largest weekend festival, comes to Civic Center Park on Sat., June 6, 10 am-8 pm & Sun., June 7, 10 am-7 pm. Over 200,000 people attend each year and enjoy exhibitors, vendors, music, juggling, arts & crafts, food and more, as people celebrate summer in Colorado. Every year, the People’s Fair, put on by Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN), is known for bringing together diverse groups of people to celebrate community. Whether you’re interested in shopping, enjoying a glass of wine and jazz, family activities, sampling
Denver’s unique cuisines or all of the above, you can do it at the Fair. There are also numerous area non-profits that will offer displays of the work that they do for the community. Started by a Denver Police Lieutenant in 1972 in order to forge more amicable relations commu between the city, local commuPeo nity and its residents, the People’s Fair continues to grow in popularity. Over the course of its history, the People's Fair has raised $1,000,000 for the Greater Capitol Hill Community and local non-profits. Admission to the Fair is always free and food & drink purchases are run on a ticket system. It’s $5 for eight tickets and most menu items run between five and 20 tickets.
In addition to the various vendors, there will also be a 21+ wine pavilion (complete with a bandstand featuring jazz, big band, swing and salsa venues) and a kid’s area that will feature bungee trampolines, bounce houses, rock climbing, a bubble tower and more fun activities from the Colorado Outlaws lacrosse team. As in years past, there will also be a mural competition between five teams of area schoolchildren who will each create a mural centered on the theme of “Pay It Forward”. Make sure to vote for your favorite creation while you’re at the Fair! For more information, including transportation, parking and event schedules, go to peoplesfair.com.
PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
WESTIN-DIA’S DESIGN DUBBED “BIRD IN FLIGHT.” The dip in the design provides a view of the airport for pilots.
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