DENVER — After two years, the first block of the 16th Street Mall Project between Larimer and Lawrence Streets has finally been completed and officially being opened to the public on Wednesday.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, the City & County of Denver, the Downtown Denver Partnership and PCL Construction will be hosting a celebration to mark the opening of the first completed block at 10 a.m.
There'll be a celebration including public activation spaces, a selfie station and renderings of other 16th Street blocks opening in the near future.
The project, which kicked off in April 2022, aims to improve safety and mobility infrastructure while including additional public amenities for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Construction spans 16th Street from Market Street to Broadway.
While it’s promised to be a long-term good thing for the downtown corridor that sees millions of visitors each year, the short term has been rough for some businesses along the construction route.
Local businesses and national retailers alike have struggled to stay afloat — and some have even had to shut down.
Other businesses, like Trompeau Café, have fared a bit better due to proximity to foot traffic near street intersections.
Nevertheless, seeing the first block completed is a sign of good things to come for all.
“We've only opened since February, the beginning of February, and a lot of our customers right now are people that work downtown and people in the hotel. I don't know that [construction] has affected [us] a whole lot," Travis Lawson, the manager of Trompeau Café, said. "However, I feel like once it is finished, it will definitely pick up a lot more. I think we could be even busier if we didn't have the construction, just because there'd be a lot more foot traffic going by."
Blocks along the 16th Street Mall corridor will continue to open throughout the year and into 2025.
