Denver to shut Civic Middle Park, clear up hazardous waste, rodents

DENVER (KDVR) – Denver will close Civic Center Park for “restoration,” eliminating the people who live and congregate there, along with accumulated trash, rodent infestations and hazardous waste that the city says “has significant public health risks Environment ”.

The park will be closed to the public on Wednesday, September 15, the city said in a press release on Tuesday. On the previous Wednesday, September 8th, a notice of closure will be posted in the park.

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The city said health officials had identified a number of health threats in the street-camped area, and the park and nearby areas had “become a hotspot for violence, crime, drug trafficking and substance abuse.”

“The current challenges in Civic Center Park have reached a tipping point, creating conditions that threaten the health and safety of the public,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in the press release. “This cannot and must not go on like this. This is the Volkspark and we are taking steps so that everyone can feel safe and welcome again. “

Health officials monitored the park and found “unhealthy conditions for all users of the park”.

The city said “over the past few weeks” health officials have “been monitoring the areas around the park for health and environmental hazards that are persistently creating unhealthy conditions for all users of the park.”

Health authorities focused on these areas:

• Civic Center Park
• Pioneer Fountain on the corner of Broadway and Colfax Avenues
• MacIntosh Park Plaza on 15th Avenue and Cleveland Street

According to the city, health officials found:

• “Litter and food waste that attracts bugs and rodents;
• “Dozens of rodent burrows;
• “Human and pet waste that contributes to the spread of disease and affects water quality;
• “And improperly discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia that pose risks to visitors to the area and to the workers in charge of maintaining the area.”

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Here’s what the city has planned for Civic Center Park

• Professional restoration of historic stone buildings that have suffered graffiti and fire damage
• Lawn restoration, including rodent protection, reseeding and modernization of the irrigation system
• Trim tree
• Lighting upgrades

“The goal of Denver Parks and Recreation is to restore Civic Center Park, Denver’s beloved National Historic Landmark in the heart of our city, by creating a safe, clean, and welcoming public space,” said Happy Haynes, Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation said in the publication.

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Earlier this summer, Hancock announced that his government would “enforce the law” on banning the city’s urban camping and has cleared camps in the months since, including prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Meanwhile, the city has announced plans to provide new housing options, including hotel conversions and new housing, as voters approved a sales tax to generate $ 40 million each year to support housing initiatives.

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