Civic Center Conservancy

Established in 2004, the Civic Center Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring, enhancing and activating downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park – elevating and sustaining the historic urban oasis as an iconic community and cultural hub. Park conservancies are an outgrowth of private citizens wanting to do more for public spaces than government can do on its own. Gaining steam across the U.S. over the past three decades, conservancies of varying sizes and models have been established out of concern for parks that government entities had neither the capacity nor the resources to maintain, program or enhance adequately. Conservancies are private, non-profit, park-benefit organizations that partner with government but raise money independently to invest in parks under action plans mutually agreed upon with their government partners. The Civic Center Conservancy's efforts focus around the following four areas: advocacy for park needs and infrastructure improvements; events and programming to activate Civic Center; public awareness and engagement; and fundraising for capital improvements, activities and initiatives to support and revitalize the park. The Conservancy has a formal cooperative agreement with the City and County of Denver designating it as the official fundraising vehicle for Civic Center Park. Key accomplishments to date include: • Played key role in creation of 2005 Civic Center Park Master Plan, identifying priorities for infrastructure improvements, amenities and enhanced connectivity. • Advocated for Civic Center’s inclusion in 2007 Better Denver bond initiative. Denver voters approved $9.4+ million to restore the Greek Theater, Voorhies Memorial and Broadway Terrace • Partnered with the Downtown Denver Partnership to expand BID maintenance and ambassadorial services into Civic Center in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The services – focusing on litter pickup, graffiti removal and spot pressure washing – are in addition to the daily services already provided by Denver Parks and Recreation. • Hosted variety of arts and cultural programs to activate the park and engage the public in its future, including the weekly summer Civic Center EATS Outdoor Café and the annual Independence Eve Celebration featuring a free concert and fireworks/light display; the Civic Center Bike-In Movie Series, which launched in summer 2011, and Civic Center MOVES, a free fitness series that launched in 2014. Strategic Goals In November 2017, $4 million for renovations to the Greek Theater areas of Civic Center Park were approved by Denver voters as part of the GO Bonds that were passed. In the coming years the Conservancy will participate in a process with Denver Parks and Recreation to turn the Greek Theater into the premier outdoor performance space that is plug and play ready for theatrical, music, dance and other performance. The Conservancy will also work to raise private dollars to add to the bond funds. Additionally, the Conservancy will partner actively with Arts & Venues of the City & County of Denver in the full implementation of the Master Plan for the McNichols Building that borders Civic Center Park. The Conservancy will support effective ways to better integrate the Building into the fabric of the downtown community and drive fundraising efforts to complete infrastructure and other enhancements of the building. The Executive Director will partner with the Board of Directors in developing a strong, impactful strategic vision for the Conservancy’s role and growth in the next 5+ years and will lead efforts to elevate the profile of the Conservancy across the broader Denver community.