Civic Center Park - Denver, CO
Posted by: 
Outspoken1
N 39° 44.319 W 104° 59.396
13S E 500862 N 4398750
It took several Mayors and many years before Civic Center Park, now one of Denver's most utilized, was created.
Waymark Code: WMB8A4
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 04/18/2011
Views: 15
"Civic Center was an idea that originated with former Denver mayor Robert W. Speer. In 1904, Speer proposed a series of civic improvements based on the City Beautiful Ideas shown to him at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Speer hired Charles Mulford Robinson among others to develop plans for the area. Robinson proposed extending 16th Street to the Colorado State Capitol and to group other municipal buildings around a central park area. However, the plan was defeated in a 1907 election.
Undaunted, Speer gathered business leaders who brought in new ideas for the Civic Center including the creation of an east-west axial between the Colorado State Capitol, and swinging the north and south borders of the park into the city grid system.
These plans were stalled when in 1912, Speer was replaced as mayor. The new mayor brought in Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. who was developing plans for Denver's mountain parks. His ideas include an informal grove of trees on the eastern edge of the park, and a lighted concert area.
When Speer was reelected in 1917, he re-pursued his ideas about the Civic Center, hiring Chicago planner and architect Edward H. Bennett, a protege of Daniel Burnham. Bennett combined the ideas of all of the previous plans, adding the Greek amphitheater, the Colonnade, the seal pond, and the realignment of Colfax Avenue and 14th Ave., around the park. The park officially opened in 1919." (from (
visit link)
The above coordinates are from the corner of Bannock and 14th, where an informational sign relates the story of the park including Olmsted's influence.