Nearly 100 people gathered on Wednesday morning to watch another groundbreaking ceremony for Skyline Park — the celebrated and controversial public space that is being rebuilt for the second time in its half-century history.
Construction crews are once again remodeling Skyline Park, the three-block stretch of downtown Denver that was built as an “urban oasis” in the 1970s before becoming a symbol of downtown decay.
On Wednesday, Mayor Mike Johnston linked the new project to that original vision.
“There is nothing more Denver than the idea of being at peace in the tranquility and the joy of the outdoors in the middle of downtown. That is what Skyline is about,” Mayor Mike Johnston said at the ceremony.
The project’s first phase, with about $30 million in funding, will focus on Block 2, the central block of the park — running along Arapahoe Street between 16th and 17th streets. The park is tucked between a hotel, office buildings and the iconic Daniels & Fisher Tower in downtown.
The block’s previous design included a lot of low walls and flat stretches of grass and brick that are separated by steps into different grades.
Design firm Rios says the focus is on “removing barriers like stairways and walls and adding green spaces for community activities.” The heart of the park will be a large water feature, which also will be the site of a temporary ice skating rink in winter.
“Lawrence Halprin, the original designer — his wife was a choreographer and a dancer, and he would describe urban choreography. When you think about arriving at Skyline Park more recently, there's all these walls and ramps and barriers and fences,” said Nate Cormier, the managing studio director for landscape design at Rios. “And our first impression was really, we've got to put the flow back in Skyline Park.”
The revamp also will bring a food and beverage pavilion, a small support building, shade trees, an “enhanced” bike lane and hardscaping. One element that’s staying: the Halprin sculpture, the blocky tan centerpiece of the park.
Skyline was originally built as part of the effort to “revitalize” downtown Denver in the mid-20th Century — a sprawling effort that included the demolition and redevelopment of much of the city center.
Originally designed by Halprin, it “was sunken below street level and heavily planted along the edges to buffer the park from the street,” including three “canyon-like fountains that were inspired by the arroyos (deep water channels) in the foothills,” according to The Cultural Landscape Foundation. The park opened in 1973.
But the intricate original design also contributed to its problems. Looking almost like a one-acre sculpture, it was tough to maintain. And with poor lighting and many hidden spots, it became a magnet for drug use.
In 2003, city leaders largely demolished Halprin’s original design, replacing it with the much flatter park of today, as the late Colleen O'Connor reported for The Denver Post.
Of course, that still didn’t stop people from using drugs or resting in the park. In 2017, the city’s “Outdoor Downtown” plan identified Skyline as a priority, calling for the addition of a permanent concessions building.
By 2020, as the pandemic shuttered downtown, planning was underway for another renovation.
Construction of the first phase is expected to conclude by summer 2027, according to the city. The city hasn’t yet secured funding for the other two blocks, although initial design of the “Block 3” area could begin this year, a city spokesperson said.
While the groundbreaking was held this week, construction is already underway — for the first time in years, the city did not bring an ice skating rink to Skyline this winter.
The city also has tried to bring life to Skyline with various temporary installations over the years. Last summer, a donor-backed project brought soccer fields to Block 1 of the park, the southwestern section of Skyline. The soccer installation is expected to stay open through this year, city officials said previously.
“I play on a co-ed soccer team if you want to join, and we'll be playing over here at Skyline as well,” Johnston said at the ceremony.
He added that the goal for Skyline is to embody what Denverites enjoy, like craft beer, parks or a place for peace to journal.
“If you think about all of your favorite things in Denver, you can do them in these hundred yards,” Johnston said. “That is our vision for what Denver should feel like.”
