The two blocks of Glenarm Place that are closed include the stretch that passes under the Denver Pavilions mall. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
A stretch of Glenarm Place near Denver Pavilions has been closed to vehicle traffic for years, and it’s poised to get that status permanently.
Right now, the stretch between 15th and 17th streets is uninspiring. A small area under the mall includes about a dozen planters, a few trees and about six metal tables. But the seating and decorations stop before visitors encounter the metal fencing and sounds of construction along the 16th Street Mall.
But things will be different by fall 2025, according to Andrew Iltis, Downtown Denver Partnership’s vice president of urban planning and community impact.
“The vision for Glenarm Plaza is to be a public plaza,” Iltis said. “It’s about having people stand in the middle of the street, look up at the Denver sign on the Pavilions or stand on a big piece of art on 16th Street. It’s about creating more of a family experience.”
DDP has been working in conjunction with the city, as well as others, such as mall owner Gart Properties, to spruce up the blocks. Denverites will eventually find the block filled with permanent art installations, playgrounds and community events, he said.
“We are hoping for this to be the heart of Upper Downtown,” said Mark Sidell, president of Gart Properties.
The two blocks have been closed to vehicles since 2020, when Denver launched its Outdoor Places Program, allowing residents or organizations to apply for a permit to close blocks to traffic.
The program grew out of the pandemic, when open space was in high demand and restaurants needed patio seating to stay in business. Of the blocks that closed, only three remain free of vehicles: Larimer Square, the 2900 block of Larimer Street in RiNo and the two blocks of Glenarm downtown.
The Larimer Square and RiNo closures could become semipermanent. Asana Partners, which owns all the buildings within Larimer Square, and a new RiNo nonprofit — in conjunction with the RiNo Business Improvement District — are in the process of applying for a street closure permit that can be renewed annually for up to five years. Afterwards, the city will decide whether or not to permanently close the blocks.
Those closures will need City Council approval. The RiNo closure is opposed by some business and property owners.
But Glenarm is engaged in a slightly different process, and has been city-backed from the start.
A handful of trees, planters and tables are currently installed on the blocks. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
Iltis said the stretch of road was identified as a potential pedestrian-friendly block in 2019 as part of the Upper Downtown Plan. That means before the pandemic, and before other blocks closed, the DDP was conducting studies and reviews needed to close the street.
“When you’re talking to the city about, is it possible? Can we do this? They really look at those plans,” Iltis said.
Because the block closure was written in the city plans, it doesn’t require council approval, and its closure permit will be permanent. Unlike the other blocks, the closure effort has also been funded largely by the city.
A spokeswoman for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration has allocated $1 million to design Glenarm Plaza.
A photo from a 2023 event that Downtown Denver Partnership hosted on the closed stretch, as a trial for the permanent closure. (Courtesy Downtown Denver Partnership)
Sidell added that Gart Properties has also invested close to $100,000 for furniture, various pilot closures and other things like WiFi and astroturf. He said Gart has been involved in the planning from the start, and recalled sitting in the former mayor Michael Hancock’s office before the pandemic to pitch the idea.
Sidell said the Glenarm Plaza and the long-awaited end of construction along the 16th Street Mall will cause ripple effects for businesses downtown, but he also envisions Glenarm Plaza becoming a hub for families.
“You look around our city and every great neighborhood has a park or gathering place at the heart, so this will really serve this purpose in Upper Downtown,” Sidell said. “Having a family-friendly city is a big piece in getting more people to live downtown.”
The two blocks of Glenarm Place that are closed include the stretch that passes under the Denver Pavilions mall. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
A stretch of Glenarm Place near Denver Pavilions has been closed to vehicle traffic for years, and it’s poised to get that status permanently.
Right now, the stretch between 15th and 17th streets is uninspiring. A small area under the mall includes about a dozen planters, a few trees and about six metal tables. But the seating and decorations stop before visitors encounter the metal fencing and sounds of construction along the 16th Street Mall.
But things will be different by fall 2025, according to Andrew Iltis, Downtown Denver Partnership’s vice president of urban planning and community impact.
“The vision for Glenarm Plaza is to be a public plaza,” Iltis said. “It’s about having people stand in the middle of the street, look up at the Denver sign on the Pavilions or stand on a big piece of art on 16th Street. It’s about creating more of a family experience.”
DDP has been working in conjunction with the city, as well as others, such as mall owner Gart Properties, to spruce up the blocks. Denverites will eventually find the block filled with permanent art installations, playgrounds and community events, he said.
“We are hoping for this to be the heart of Upper Downtown,” said Mark Sidell, president of Gart Properties.
The two blocks have been closed to vehicles since 2020, when Denver launched its Outdoor Places Program, allowing residents or organizations to apply for a permit to close blocks to traffic.
The program grew out of the pandemic, when open space was in high demand and restaurants needed patio seating to stay in business. Of the blocks that closed, only three remain free of vehicles: Larimer Square, the 2900 block of Larimer Street in RiNo and the two blocks of Glenarm downtown.
The Larimer Square and RiNo closures could become semipermanent. Asana Partners, which owns all the buildings within Larimer Square, and a new RiNo nonprofit — in conjunction with the RiNo Business Improvement District — are in the process of applying for a street closure permit that can be renewed annually for up to five years. Afterwards, the city will decide whether or not to permanently close the blocks.
Those closures will need City Council approval. The RiNo closure is opposed by some business and property owners.
But Glenarm is engaged in a slightly different process, and has been city-backed from the start.
A handful of trees, planters and tables are currently installed on the blocks. (Maia Luem/BusinessDen)
Iltis said the stretch of road was identified as a potential pedestrian-friendly block in 2019 as part of the Upper Downtown Plan. That means before the pandemic, and before other blocks closed, the DDP was conducting studies and reviews needed to close the street.
“When you’re talking to the city about, is it possible? Can we do this? They really look at those plans,” Iltis said.
Because the block closure was written in the city plans, it doesn’t require council approval, and its closure permit will be permanent. Unlike the other blocks, the closure effort has also been funded largely by the city.
A spokeswoman for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration has allocated $1 million to design Glenarm Plaza.
A photo from a 2023 event that Downtown Denver Partnership hosted on the closed stretch, as a trial for the permanent closure. (Courtesy Downtown Denver Partnership)
Sidell added that Gart Properties has also invested close to $100,000 for furniture, various pilot closures and other things like WiFi and astroturf. He said Gart has been involved in the planning from the start, and recalled sitting in the former mayor Michael Hancock’s office before the pandemic to pitch the idea.
Sidell said the Glenarm Plaza and the long-awaited end of construction along the 16th Street Mall will cause ripple effects for businesses downtown, but he also envisions Glenarm Plaza becoming a hub for families.
“You look around our city and every great neighborhood has a park or gathering place at the heart, so this will really serve this purpose in Upper Downtown,” Sidell said. “Having a family-friendly city is a big piece in getting more people to live downtown.”
