City officials have unveiled their vision for redeveloping the Denver Performing Arts Complex downtown.
The plan is called "The Next Stage."
The plan involves:
- Raising the current sculpture garden
- Putting parking underground
- Demolishing the current parking garage
- Building new concert hall
- Adding an outdoor theater
- Building a DPS high school for the arts
- Adding commercial space for shops, restaurants, offices, etc.
To help fund the project, the plan calls for two or three high-rises that may be used for businesses, hotels or apartments. The towers will be privately owned.
Here is a look at the plan for the new music hall for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on 14th Street.
This is the vision for the new outdoor theater and art park, if you are viewing it from Speer Boulevard.
Work to diversify and expand the arts programming will begin almost immediately, officials said.
Denver Arts & Venues is committing $250,000 in public artworks to be installed over the next year.
“The Next Stage vision provides a phenomenal opportunity to elevate our Arts Complex to become a vibrant, public regional center of cultural activity in the heart of downtown,” said Mayor Michael B. Hancock.
Denver Arts & Venues and Denver Public Schools are working on a study about the feasibility of bringing a school of the arts to the Arts Complex.
The plan still needs government approval and there is no firm start date for construction or demolition.
On Thursday, Mayor Hancock announced a year-long funding and governance study to develop the next steps to build a plan. The funding and governance group will aim to provide its recommended plan by the end of 2016.
