DENVER — The Vibrant Denver Bond program voters will consider this fall will be the third bond package the city has asked voters to approve in the past eight years.
Voters approved the Elevate Denver Bond in 2017 and the RISE Denver Bond in 2021. Combined, the two bonds helped fund over $1 billion in projects.
The $937-million Elevate Denver bond paid for nearly 500 projects.
Nearly half, about $431 million, was spent on transportation projects, including the expansion of East 56th Avenue from Peoria to Pena, and the 16th Street Mall reconstruction in downtown.
A total of $152 million was used to upgrade parks and recreation spaces across the city. A portion of the money will also help build the Westwood Recreation Center.
“[It’s] a brand-new recreation center in a very underserved neighborhood,” said Denver City Councilwoman Jamie Torres, who represents the area. “We're about to start construction on that now. It will be open by 2027."
About $117 million of the Elevate Denver bond money was used to improve cultural facilities, including the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Red Rocks, and the Buell Theater.
About $77 million was spent on public safety, including upgrading 19 fire stations and replacing the District 5 Police Station in Montbello. Money is also being used to pay for the renovations of the District 6 police station in downtown.
A total of $75 million of Elevate Denver bond money helped build a new outpatient medical center for Denver Health.
Another $69 million went to improve the city’s public libraries, including Denver Central Library which fully reopened in November.
Denver City Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore said Thursday major capital projects would not be possible with bonds.
"The city, quite frankly, doesn't have the money in our general fund,” said Gilmore. "And so, with these big capital projects, the city needs a different funding mechanism."
The RISE Denver bond voters approved in 2021 provided $260 million for more than 80 projects.
About $104 million was spent on making city building more accessible. Money was also spent to renovate the historic May Bonfils Stanton theater at Loretto Heights in southwest Denver.
Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn, who has been trying to preserve the theater, said he was satisfied with the bond because it was done within a short time frame.
"If you don't keep your time frame short, your budget's gonna bust,” said Flynn. “It's precisely because it was done within a contained period, so that costs could be more controlled, better than say, a 10-year or longer bond."
Costs are why Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the Vibrant Denver bond projects will be built within a six-year timeline.
“This will be an accelerated bond cycle. It will be a six-year bond cycle rather than traditional 10-year cycle,” Johnston said. “We think we are going to focus on shovel ready projects that can be transformational and catalytic for neighborhoods all across Denver, but where we can get shovels in the ground quickly, get people to work, help stimulate jobs across the city and also get these key investments up and rolling.”
City officials will collect public feedback over the next few months.
Citizens are invited to submit their ideas for projects in an online survey.
Over 400 projects funded by Elevate Denver and RISE Denver are either complete or under construction. About 130 are in the design or development phase.
The public can track projects funded through the Elevate Denver and RISE Denver bonds on the city's dashboard.
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