Denver’s Civic Center Station Gets $26M Revamp

By Ioana Neamt

Denver—Civic Center Station, one of the busiest bus transit hubs in the Mile-High City, closed July 3 to undergo a $26 million revamp. The Regional Transportation District (RTD) awarded the redevelopment contract to Mortenson Construction, which will join forces with architect of record Perkins Eastman to revitalize the 30-year-old station situated on the southern end of the 16^th Street Mall.

Drag the arrow back and forth to see Civic Center Station today and a rendering of the revamped station.

The worn-down Civic Center Station has been decommissioned and the site is now closed to commuters for the following year while construction is underway on the new station. In a nod to Denver’s Union Station, the new facility will feature a more open and welcoming design and a building structure that will be easier to maintain and repair, according to the RTD. The project includes: a 20,000-square-foot land parcel preserved for future development opportunities; a bus ramp extension connecting Broadway to Lincoln; a modern, glass-enclosed terminal building; and nine bus bays. The new station will also feature staircases on either end of the open plaza, which will lead to a large terrace offering uninterrupted views of Broadway and the Capitol dome.

“This new Civic Center Station is designed to be more than just a transit stop for commuters,” Peter Cavaluzzi, FAIA, design principal for the project, said in a statement. “We set out to create an iconic and timeless civic space that integrates transit with culture, encourages new development in the area, and above all appeals to everyone.”

The Civic Center Station is strategically situated on one of the city’s most trafficked thoroughfares and is used by more than 15,000 daily transit riders. The center benefits from its close proximity to the Denver Public Library, Denver Art Museum, Clyfford Still Museum and the History Colorado Center.

Images via Google Street view and Perkins Eastman