Program Overview

Accelerating Denver's connectivity, functionality, and safety by upgrading streets, bridges, sidewalks, and our bike network.

Whether you are walking, driving, biking or taking the bus, nearly half of the 460 Elevate Denver projects will focus on making our streets safer and more efficient for everyone.

• Repave high traffic roads and repair and replace outdated bridges.
• Improve intersections and build sidewalks throughout Denver to create new connections among neighborhoods, bus stops, and rail stations.
• Coordinate with other planned city work to accelerate delivery to Denver residents.

Restoring iconic institutions that have educated and entertained Denver residents for over a century.

By maximizing taxpayer dollars through public and private partnerships, Elevate Denver will provide critical improvements to institutions central to the fabric of our city including:

• The Denver Zoo
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
• Denver Art Museum
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts
• Red Rocks Amphitheater
• Buell Theater

Annual attendance at Denver’s cultural facilities is almost double that of the city’s four major sports venues combined. Elevate Denver will ensure these culturally enriching spaces are preserved for generations to come.

Constructing a new Outpatient Medical Center to increase patient capacity by 50 percent and meet the health care needs of Denver residents.

By centralizing numerous specialty clinics including a surgery center, expanded pharmacy, and lab and radiology services, the state-of-the-art facility provides high-quality care right here in the community.

Currently, Denver Health provides medical care to roughly one-third of Denver’s population. With a new Outpatient Medical Center in the heart of the city, Denver Health can expand its offerings and provide essential treatment for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, mental and behavioral health, and other treatable diseases in adults and children.

Revitalizing recreation centers and parks to bring health and wellness to neighborhoods across the city.

Over the next 10 years, Elevate Denver will upgrade and improve more than 50 parks and 21 recreation centers, offering residents safe, efficient spaces to connect, play, and exercise. These enhancements will improve energy efficiency and update systems for irrigation and water conservation, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars.

In addition to these upgrades, Elevate Denver will build a new recreation center in the Westwood neighborhood, a new indoor swimming pool in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, and an innovative playground and community plaza at Paco Sanchez Park.

Modernizing the Denver Central Library and 10 other library branches to better connect people with information, ideas, and educational experiences.

Denver’s libraries see more than 1.2 million visitors each year. By investing in new technology, redesigning spaces, and improving accessibility, Elevate Denver will amplify the library system’s community impact.

Through the program, the Denver Central Library will see significant safety and security upgrades as well as an expanded and relocated children’s learning area and event space for improved accessibility. Elevate Denver will make additional improvements at neighborhood branches, including:

• Athmar Park Library
• Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library
• Byers Library
• Eugene Field Library
• Pauline Robinson Library
• Ross-Barnum Library
• Ross-Broadway Library
• Ross-University Hills Library
• Schlessman Family Library
• Smiley Branch Library

Prioritizing the wellbeing of Denver residents and the first responders keeping our city safe.

Elevate Denver will replace or renovate two police stations and half of Denver’s fire stations. Many of these facilities are more than 40 years old and need crucial upgrades. Across the city, 19 fire stations will receive updated equipment, bathrooms, and living spaces to ensure better gender equity. A new fire station will be built at 72nd and Tower Road to meet the needs of our growing city and improve emergency response times.

Denver Police Stations are outdated and over-capacity as well. The District 5 police station, serving the Montbello, Stapleton, and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods, and the District 6 station, serving the Capitol Hill, Civic Center, Five Points, and Downtown neighborhoods, will be replaced to improve policing operations and better facilitate community engagement.

Enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of city buildings and services.

Through structural and exterior improvements, Elevate Denver aims to make city buildings more accessible to residents and city staff. Projects will eliminate physical and communication barriers between Denver and its people by upgrading ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps and improving exterior and interior routes, accessible parking, and visual alarms.

Over the next decade, six roofs and four HVAC systems will be replaced at city-owned buildings. General repairs will also be made to several city buildings, including: 

• Richard Castro Human Services Building
• North East Montessori Center
• Denver City and County Building
• Arie P. Taylor Building