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Denver hoping to change 16th Street Mall image

Posted at 7:09 PM, May 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-05 21:09:26-04

As the weather turns warmer, the City of Denver is hoping to attract more people to the 16th Street Mall. 

Even though the mall may look busy, a study found that only 1 percent of people linger and most are simply passing through.

"And that's what we're trying to do with these studies -- is experiment with ways that we can attract people to stay longer and not just move through," said John Desmond, executive vice president of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

Security remains a big focus to creating an inviting atmosphere. Police will patrol the area on foot through September.

Earlier this year, Denver announced plans to install 182 street lights on the mall. According to the city, those lights are still being manufactured and will be installed in August.

"The space that we have really is about inviting more people downtown," said Denver city planner Jason Whitlock.

This year's "Meet in the Street" festival is expanding to five consecutive weekends, including Saturday and Sunday. It begins in late June and will run through July. The mall ride will move to 15th and 17th Streets during the festival.

The city is still asking for input on festival prototype ideas and applications are being accepted until May 15.

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