DENVER, Colo. — From the ashes, the iconic City Park bandstand will rise again.
More than five months after a fire destroyed Denver's City Park bandstand, the city is moving forward with new design plans.
▶️ Denver approves City Park bandstand rebuild plans
On Tuesday, Denver's Landmark Preservation Committee presented redesign plans to the community, ultimately approving them with conditions. The pitch of the roof and its tiles must match the City Park Pavilion.
"The main thing was just keeping in mind that this is an important gathering place for the community," Jay Homstad, the senior director of preservation advocacy at Historic Denver, said.
The bandstand was heavily damaged in a fire in late March. A structural assessment found the remaining structure is not salvageable. The cause of the fire remains a mystery.
Earlier this summer, Denver Parks and Recreation contracted the firm Mundus Bishop to lead the design process and holding several pop-up events to gather feedback and input from community members.
The City Park Bandstand was first built in 1896 and was either rebuilt or modified in 1899, 1914, 1924, 1984, and 1994, according to city records.
Homstad noted the bandstand's many phases through the years.
“I think probably in those early days, it might have been a little trial and error,” he said. “There was one [iteration] that was out on piers; it looked like it was floating. Apparently, people had to be put on boats and rowed out to it in order to perform.”
Patty Paul lives just a few blocks away and is no stranger to the park or its history.
"I actually worked as a volunteer on the 1994 remodeling reconstruction of the bandstand,” Paul said. “I've worked as a volunteer on a lot of different committees, playground committees, pavilion committees, parking garage committees over the years.”
Paul was among the community members who raised concerns at Tuesday's public hearing, specifically about the roof design.
The current redesign plan draws much of its character from 1924 and 1994 iterations.
"When I saw the image of their drawing, the only thing that kind of bothered me was the roof," Paul said. “It seemed flat, and a little bit less consequential. And I thought the bandstand needed a little stature, and that's what brought me here.”
Though the roof's slope is gentler, the new design's dimensions take up more space than the existing structure.
Denver Parks and Recreation Project Manager Katie Russell said the feedback is part of the process as they start to wrap up the design phase.
"At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We want the bandstand to be restored, and so I think some of these smaller details can certainly be worked out," Russell said.
Russell said plans will move quickly from here, though one natural factor is causing a brief delay.
"One of the things that is holding the demolition up a little bit are the swallows. There's some nesting birds in the structure that are federally protected, and so we have to wait for them to fledge," Russell said.
Crews expect to break ground once the birds leave the nest in the next month or so.
The city plans to have the bandstand rebuilt and ready in time for the 2027 City Park Jazz season.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston credited community donations for making the project possible without disrupting other parks projects.
"Whether it's posing for photos before prom, getting married, or dancing with mom or dad during City Park Jazz, countless memories have been made at the City Park Bandstand. It's time to start making memories again. I'm deeply grateful to the many people who have donated and ensured that we will be able to begin the work of replacing it soon, and that we will do so without interrupting or delaying other parks projects in development."
It’s just the newest chapter in City Park’s history book.
"[The bandstand has] been a focus of the city since the 1880s, really," Paul said. "That's why I think it's important for me to show up."
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