Governor Solicits Input After Millions Already Spent on Pedestrian Project

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics

Gov. Jared Polis is asking Coloradans to weigh in on the $29 million pedestrian bridge he envisions as part of the state’s 150th birthday celebration.

However, the bridge project, which will primarily be funded by private donations, is facing challenges in its next step: securing approval from the legislature’s Capital Development Committee.

The bridge, according to its design, will connect the grounds of the state Capitol across Lincoln Street to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, and then across Broadway to Civic Center Park.

The state has already allocated $8.5 million of taxpayer money to initiate the project, but the remaining funds will need to be raised through private donations. The initial cost is $18 million, but an additional $10 million will be required for future improvements.

The four-question survey can be found on a website that begins with a lengthy presentation on the project’s advantages, followed by a two-minute video featuring Polis and Danielle Oliveto, Deputy Chief of Staff. It also includes a commentary from 9News’ Kyle Clark, who referred to it as Polis’ “legacy project” and described it as a “monument to government waste.”

Under the plan, the bridge would be completed in time for Colorado’s 150th anniversary on Aug. 1, 2026.

The bridge project cleared its first hurdle, an 8-4 vote from the Capitol Building Advisory Committee on June 26.

Its subsequent approval, however, appears to be a hurdle it may not be able to clear.

All six members of the Capital Development Committee have come out against the project, as reported by 9News on Tuesday.

The project must also be approved by the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission, Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, along with two permits, and the Denver City Council. It also needs a joint resolution from the General Assembly, which won’t happen until at least January.

Until recently, Julie Johnson, the chair of the Denver Landmark Commission, said that, while she thinks the design is beautiful, it isn’t appropriate. It will affect what people can see and could, over time, lead to rendering the Civic Center area “unrecognizable,” she said.

The project also gets a thumbs down from Historic Denver, Capitol Hill United Neighborhood, Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill and local residents.

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