[CPN] Civic Center Update

 

City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation   Jay Clark Parks and Recreation PH: 720-931-0633 jay.clark@denvergov.org     For Immediate Release August 7, 2012   Civic Center Park Update   DENVER, CO ­— Warranty work on the Broadway Terrace portion of Civic Center Park, part of the Better Denver Bond project, is nearly complete and Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) will remove the temporary fencing surrounding turf areas along Broadway on Wednesday, August 8.   To protect the almost $100,000 Denver taxpayer investment in these turf areas, beginning Monday, August 13, and until further notice, the grass areas of the Broadway Terrace will be closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays during normal park hours of 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. for turf restoration (see map below). The Great Lawn, other turf areas and all walkways in the park will remain open during normal park hours seven days a week.   Under the Denver City Charter, the Manager of Parks has the authority to temporarily close portions of the park. DPR will install signage in the areas to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays to inform the public of these lawn closures; DPR Park Rangers and the Denver Police will also work with the public to inform them of the closures and this new schedule.   As these grass portions of Civic Center Park receive so much usage, especially on the weekends, and as the areas receive limited sun because of the tree canopy, the two-day closings should greatly extend the usability and longevity of the recently completed warranty work in the turf areas. Part of the warranty work also included installing additional park bench seating on the pathways around the turf areas of the Broadway Terrace to provide additional seating in shady areas.   “We understand that closing these areas two days a week might be inconvenient, but this is something we strongly believe we need to implement to take the best care possible of the serious investment our citizens made in Civic Center Park,” said Lauri Dannemiller, Manager of Denver Parks and Recreation. “Our goal is to maintain of Civic Center Park so our citizens do not end up paying for the same repairs over and over when those repairs could be avoided with some proactive management.”   Closing portions of parks for restoration and maintenance for brief periods is a management practice used in cities and parks across the United States. This is not the first such closure in Denver as the Denver Skate Park at 2205 19th Street is closed weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for regular maintenance.   BROADWAY TERRACE AT CIVIC CENTER PARK   The City & County of Denver’s Better Denver Bond Program works to preserve, renovate and create amenities that touch resident’s lives – including roads, libraries, parks, recreation centers, child care sites, hospitals, human service, city buildings and cultural facilities. Approved by voters in 2007, the bond program generates millions of dollars into the economy, preserves and creates jobs and makes Denver a more attractive place to live, work, and invest in the future. For more information about the Better Denver Bond Program, visit www.denvergov.org/betterdenver. ###