SEPTEMBER 2023: Crews are on site at various locations along the Mall. Businesses are open. The intersection closure at Champa and 16th streets began on Sept. 6 and will remain closed for approximately nine weeks. The intersection closure at Glenarm Place and 16th Street began on Aug. 17 and will remain closed for approximately ten weeks. Catch the RTD Free Mall Ride on 15th Street or 17th Street between Wazee Street and Civic Center Station. Find more information on the current project activities or download the 16th Street Mall Project app.
Great cities never stand still. We think to the future. The 16th Street Mall Project is our past, present and future. It is the backbone of our City, our version of a Main Street and the catalyst for a great future ahead. The 16th Street Mall Project will revitalize the Mall from Market Street to Broadway. Our goal is improving safety and mobility, addressing deteriorating infrastructure and creating more opportunities for the people who live, work and visit the Mile High City to enjoy the Mall for years to come.
Current and Recommended Mall Alignment
Text description of this infographic(PDF, 65KB)
Work Phasing Plan
Construction on the 16th Street Mall Project is beginning on the block between Market and Larimer streets, starting in the center/transitway area, with a new adjacent block entering construction approximately four to eight weeks later.
- Phase 1: Work in the center of the Mall on each block, planned for 13–14 months
- Phase 2: Work adjacent to the buildings, planned for 3–4 months
- Phase 3: Completing the final finishes in the center of the Mall, planned for one month
Text description of these infographics(PDF, 519KB)
Pedestrian walkways and access to storefronts will be maintained on both sides of the Mall, but walkways may be narrower. The work site will have gates at both intersections and intermittent flaggers to help direct construction and pedestrian traffic as needed. Signage and construction fencing will have signs to help visitors access transit and businesses.
Phase 1 Milestones
Demolition
Remove surface materials including trees, existing pavers and tree pits
Build Transitway
Install transit walls, install electrical duct banks, install slot drain, pour transit slab
Intersection Reconstruction
Complete shallow utilities like electric, traffic signal and lighting infrastructure; pour concrete pavement; paint traffic and pedestrian striping
Build Stratavault System
Building the stratavault system for the trees includes grading, stratavault install, planting material installation and irrigation
Plant Trees
The City has already procured trees for this project. They are growing and acclimating in tree nurseries up north. The substantial trees will immediately add shade to the Mall upon installation
Install Transit Pavers
Installing the new transitway paver system will be a very visible sign that phase 1 is nearing completion
Travel Information
All businesses are open and accessible.
The RTD Free MallRide is rerouted to bus lanes on 15th and 17th streets while blocks are under construction. More information
Blake to Market (Block 0)
Market to Larimer (Block 1)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
- Market intersection:
- Right-lane closure and east crosswalk on Market Street for concrete work began Sept. 11, lasting through the end of October.
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (complete)
- Build transitway (in progress)
- Build stratavault system
- Plant trees
- Install transit pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Market
Block 1 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Early 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Spring 2024
- Complete - Fall 2024
Larimer to Lawrence (Block 2)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
- Larimer intersection:
- West sidewalk closure began Sept. 5, lasting through the end of October
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (complete)
- Build transitway (complete)
- Build stratavault system for trees (in progress)
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Larimer
Block 2 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Late 2023
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Spring 2024
- Complete - Summer 2024
Lawrence to Arapahoe (Block 3)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
- Lawrence intersection:
- East crosswalk closure, started July 19, lasting through late October
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (complete)
- Build transitway (in progress)
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Lawrence (complete)
Block 3 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Spring 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Summer 2024
- Complete - Fall 2024
Arapahoe to Curtis (Block 4)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway:
- Full closure of south sidewalk began April 20, lasting through fall 2023, when sidewalk area is moved to transitway
- Arapahoe intersection:
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (complete)
- Build transitway (in progress)
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Arapahoe (complete)
Block 4 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Fall 2024
- Complete - Fall 2024
Curtis to Champa (Block 5)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
- Double, right-lane closure for water and storm sewer work began Aug. 4, lasting through late September
- This intersection will have various crosswalk closures for the duration of this work. At least three of the four crosswalks are open at all times
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (complete)
- Build transitway (in progress)
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Curtis
Block 5 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Fall 2024
- Complete - Late 2024
Champa to Stout (Block 6)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
- Champa Intersection:
- Full intersection closure began Sept. 6, lasting for a minimum of nine weeks
- Bike lane temporarily detoured to Arapahoe intersection between 14th and 18th streets
- This intersection will have various crosswalk closures for the duration of this work. At least three of the four crosswalks are open at all times.
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (in progress)
- Build transitway
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Champa
Block 6 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Summer 2023
- Phase 2 start - Fall 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Early 2025
- Complete - Spring 2025
Stout to California (Block 7)
Current Activities
- Utility work underway
- Half-block, curb-to-curb fence on the west side of the block, along with the narrowed north sidewalk began Sept. 11, lasting for several weeks
Block 7 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Late 2023
- Phase 2 start - Early 2025
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Summer 2025
- Complete - Summer 2025
California to Welton (Block 8)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements underway
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Preconstruction utility work complete in block
- Water and storm sewer work complete in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Demolition (in progress)
- Build transitway
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at California
Block 8 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Summer 2024
- Complete - Fall 2024
Welton to Glenarm (Block 9)
Current Activities
- Utility work underway:
- Work for water and sewer lines began May 16, lasting through mid-October
- Fencing encloses work from curb to curb for the entire block
- Fencing will adjust outward based on current activity in the block
- Welton intersection:
- Double-lane closures for water and storm sewer work began Sept. 7, lasting through at least mid-October. One northbound lane is open.
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Water and storm sewer work underway in block
Block 9 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Fall 2023
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Fall 2024
- Complete - Spring 2025
Glenarm to Tremont (Block 10)
Current Activities
- Phase 1 of improvements began August 24. Fences will remain in current full block, curb-to-curb configuration.
- Glenarm intersection:
- Temporary fencing in full intersection, began August 17 lasting for approximately 10 weeks
- The west crosswalk across 16th Street will be closed, but the other three crosswalks in the intersection will remain open
- Bike lanes temporarily detoured to Welton and Tremont intersections at 15th and 17th streets
Phase 1 Milestone Progress Update
- Water and storm sewer work upcoming in block
- Phase 1 of Mall reconstruction underway
- Complete intersection closure at Glenarm
- Demolition (in progress)
- Build transitway
- Build stratavault system or "tree pits"
- Plant trees
- Install pavers
- Complete intersection closure at Glenarm
Block 10 Schedule
- Phase 2 start - Late 2024
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Early 2025
- Complete - Spring 2025
Tremont to Court (Block 11)
Current Activities
Block 11 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Early 2024
- Phase 2 start - Early 2025
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Spring 2025
- Complete - Summer 2025
Court to Cleveland (Block 12)
Current Activities
- Utility work underway
- Half-block fence on the west end of the block began Sept. 7, lasting through early October
- South sidewalk closed to pedestrians between Court Place and the Sheraton parking garage entrance and south transit lane closure
Block 12 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Early 2024
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2025
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Summer 2025
- Complete - Fall 2025
Cleveland to Broadway (Block 13)
Current Activities
Block 13 Schedule
- Phase 1 start - Early 2024
- Phase 2 start - Summer 2025
- Phase 3 start/Fences down - Summer 2025
- Complete - Fall 2025
Potholing activities in various locations will require occasional lane and sidewalk closures on the 16th Street Mall and on cross-streets between Market Street and Broadway. By potholing, which includes drilling holes into the pavement in multiple locations, the team will be able to confirm existing data about conditions on, around, and under the Mall, including the location of existing underground utilities. By identifying existing utilities, such as water/sewer pipes and electrical conduit lines, the team will be able to reduce the chance of unexpectedly encountering one of these lines during construction. Signage will clearly identify how pedestrians and motorists can navigate any expected closures.
Work may require intermittent lane closures at intersections between Wazee and Broadway throughout construction as well as occasional sidewalk closures. Pedestrian and business access will be maintained.
Work Hours
Construction workdays and hours are anticipated to be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend work will occur between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Material deliveries and staging may occur over night. All construction activities are weather and site condition dependent, and schedules are subject to change.
Due to schedule and sequencing, not all active blocks will have activities occurring at all times. The latest updates on work will be added to this website page.
The new 16th St. Mall will feature elements designed to help make the Mall a desirable, engaging destination for all. Site furnishings, play features and moments of joy will be distributed up and down the Mall in relationship to activity areas and adjacent land uses.
- Site Furnishings include items like tables, chairs, benches, planters and other things that create a space for people to spend time.
- Play Features are structures designed specifically for engaging kids on the Mall.
- Moments of Joy are elements designed to bring a bit of delight to the Mall; they make you smile, pause for a moment or snap a photo to share.
The ensemble of these features will work together to create attractions and moments of relaxation and fun for families, residents, visitors and workers to enjoy in the core of downtown.
The site furnishings will be organized into three basic room types — feast, lounge and arrow — to create places for a multitude of uses.
- Feast rooms are designed with food in mind. They create space to share lunch with a friend or eat solo and catch up on your emails on a beautiful day.
- Lounge rooms create space to slow down and stay for a bit. Visitors can take a moment to plan their next stop, downtown employees can pause in the shade for a moment between meetings and residents can enjoy the people watching for a while.
- Arrow rooms activate an area while also creating a clear delineation of space.
These site furnishing room types will be paired with planter pots for visual color and interest and all furnishing groupings will be flexible, changeable and phased as a new evolution of place making and sensory experiences along the Mall evolve for everyone’s enjoyment.
The 16th Street Mall Project builds on nearly a decade of planning and community input to inform how we reconstruct and revitalize the Mall from Market Street to Broadway. The feedback and input from hundreds of community members resulted in today’s effort to rebuild the Mall to be not just more structurally sound, but also a welcoming space where all people can gather.
Environmental Assessment
The project’s environmental phase concluded in December 2019. FTA found the project to have no significant impact on environmental resources and officially issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) on Nov. 26, 2019. This marked completion of the Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA identified a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) to reconstruct the 16th Street Mall between Market Street and Broadway to address infrastructure, mobility, safety, and public use needs.
Finding of No Significant Impact
May 2019 EA Public Meeting
Members of the public were invited to attend public meetings to provide input on the project and EA conclusions. The same information was presented at two meetings on May 1, 2019.
FTA and the project partners reviewed and considered all comments. All comments received during the comment period will be part of the project record. Responses to all substantive comments (those that raise specific issues or concerns regarding the project or EA process, suggest new alternatives, or question or raise concerns over new impacts not addressed in the EA) will be included in the final decision document.
Environmental Clearance and Funding: Because the Mall was built in 1982 with federal funds, any potential modifications must undergo a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and a cultural resources evaluation pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). Initial project funding for the Alternatives Analysis and Environmental Clearance came from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) via Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). TIF requires that a design project be identified by 2020 and spent by 2022. As approved by voters, 2017 General Obligation Bonds might also be applied.
Public Engagement Archive
2022: 90 Percent Design
In March 2022 a round of outreach was completed to accompany 90% Design and to inform stakeholders about what to expect once construction begins.
Watch the 90% design video
2021: 60 Percent Design
In late 2021, the 16th Street Mall Project team completed another round of outreach to accompany the submittal of 60% design. This round focused on providing design updates for various amenities along the Mall — shade structures, play elements and more. This video was recorded at one of the focus group meetings and focuses on how design of the mall amenities has evolved over the years, and the current design for elements along the 16th Street Mall.
Watch the 60% design video
The City of Denver and the Downtown Denver Partnership have developed a variety of tactics to help remove some common roadblocks that businesses face during large construction projects.
Business Support Information
The 16th Street Mall Project is positioned to create a workforce ecosystem that promotes broader inclusion of a diverse workforce, systemically addresses barriers to entry, and provides supportive service to promote successful worker performance and ongoing development.
Jobs and Workforce Programs Information