Damage from a car that struck a wall in Civic Center Park is no isolated incident according to Scott Robson, the executive director of the Civic Center Conservancy.
During his time with the organization, he has found that area to be a constant concern and hazard for both park goers and the park itself.
“It's become a bit of a war zone when it comes to vehicles jumping the curb on that section of eastbound Colfax,” said Robson. “There are multiple trees that have been lost along with two or three light poles all on this same section.”
The vehicle struck the wall Sunday night and police were called to the scene around 2:30 a.m. according to the Denver Police Department. They are still investigating the incident and encourage anyone with possible information about suspect to contact them their Crime Stoppers division at 720-913-7867.
Denver Parks and Recreation will be the organization responsible for replacing the damaged portion of the balustrade. Cyndi Karvaski, a spokeswoman for Denver Parks and Recreation, anticipates the reconstruction project to take four to six months and cost around $50,000-$75,000.
While Robson finds it unfortunate to lose a historical structure like the chunk of the 100-year-old railing that was obliterated by a vehicle, he says the city has a blueprint for fixing it, as this is not the first time it has needed repair.
He said that a similar type of stone to the original one used for the balustrade is available in Washington, and with some work, he believes the stone railing will be just fine. He does, however, hope the city will be able to put some safeguards in place to keep vehicles out of the park.
“If you walk down there you can see the kind of carnage from different street lights, and public art,” said Robson. “We would like to see the city put some type of architecturally appropriate bollards on that section so vehicles can't come into the park.”
