Landmark Preservation Design Review Process
To preserve and protect the integrity of Denver’s historical, cultural and architectural treasures, the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC), the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission (LDDRC), and Landmark Preservation staff review exterior work, development, and demolition on locally designated Denver landmarks or properties located in a historic district. Design review ensures that proposed projects involving new construction, exterior alterations, or additions preserve key historic features and are compatible with the look and feel of historic districts and individual landmarks.
To find out if your property is in a historic district or is an individual landmark, please use this interactive map.
Landmark Preservation reviews all exterior work on an individual landmark property or a property in a historic district that requires a building permit, a zoning permit, an encroachment permit, or a curb cut permit. When conducting design review of proposed changes, the LPC, LDDRC, and Landmark Preservation staff follow the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the treatment of historic properties as well as the applicable design guidelines. Once a project has been reviewed and approved, Landmark staff issue a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and a consolidated set of approved application materials. The Certificate of Appropriateness must be submitted with the subsequent, applicable building and/or zoning permit applications.
Proposed Update to LPC Design Review Rules and Regulations
Landmark Preservation is updating the design review rules and regulations for projects that are reviewed by the LPC. The draft of the proposed updates is available for public review until April 7, 2026. Email your comments to landmark@denvergov.org by April 7.
Public Review Draft - Update to the LPC Design Review Rules and Regulations(PDF, 219KB)
Next Steps
- April 21, 2026: the LPC will review the draft and public comments during a discussion item.
- May 19, 2026: the LPC will hold a public hearing for adoption of the final draft.
We encourage you to provide comments based on the LPC public comment policy(PDF, 140KB) at these meetings.
Project Specific Information
The type of construction work you are doing determines whether you must undergo design review before you begin. The following projects are subject to design review.