Serving the community since 1926
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7, 2024
VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 49
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East Colfax businesses, residents brace for bus rapid transit project Business owners to contend with major construction
The Central Library has seen extensive renovations since early 2023
BY MERYL PHAIR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Construction on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has broken ground on East Colfax Avenue and is expected to progress eastward along the popular Denver throughway. The BRT is intended to improve efficient public transportation and boost commerce and the community feel of one of Denver’s most historic and well-traversed streets. The construction’s initial phase spans from Broadway to Williams Street and will move down Colfax in five segments. Expected to reach completion by 2027 and budgeted at $280 million, work will progress from Williams Street to Monroe Street, then to Niagara Street, Yosemite Street and finally to the light rail R-Line Station at I-225. Following completion, the roadway will have two sideby-side bus lanes running down the center of Colfax with a lane on either side for general-purpose vehicles. Expected to operate constantly, buses will arrive every four minutes on weekdays during daylight hours and every 15 minutes at night. The project aims to create a calmer transportation experience for bus riders, bikers and pedestrians alike, said Frank Locantore, executive director of the Colfax Ave Business Improvement District (BID). “Instead of acting as a barrier with cars speeding by, the new bus system and the calmer movement of vehicles is going to act more like a zipper in stitching the north and south communities together,” said Locantore.
Denver Central Library to fully reopen Nov. 3 BY LONDON LYLE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The Denver Central Library will fully reopen to the public at 10 a.m. Nov. 3, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held just outside, followed by a day of family-friendly celebrations complete with grab-and-go refreshments, giveaways and entertainment throughout the day. Following multiple semi-closures since early 2023, library staff and management are really looking forward to a big crowd and to turning the Central Library back over to the people, said Olivia Gallegos, communications manager at Denver Public Library. As the world shut down in March 2020, libraries were not immune to closures, and the full library eventually shut its doors to the public due to COVID-19. Despite facing an uncertain future, library staff took advantage of this time to kickstart the longoverdue construction projects. “Our team was really strategic and worked with the contractor to determine what areas of the library could open on a limited basis while working could continue. We wanted to still provide that access,” Gallegos said. The renovations mark the most significant changes to the Central Library since the Michael Graves addition back in 1995, the 540,000-square-foot expansion of the original building. While large parts of the library have remained closed throughout the construction process, the library team was committed to being thoughtful and intentional in what areas and features remained accessible based on the level of need they saw in the community. SEE LIBRARY, P6
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The Bluebird Theater on East Colfax Avenue sits in the center of the Bluebird Business Improvement District.
SEE COLFAX, P9
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PHOTO BY MERYL PHAIR
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