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By Ed Nichols

As a fourth-generation Coloradan, I was honored to recently become the Colorado Historical Society’s president and CEO. In this position, I have a mandate to assist this 128-year-old organization to better promote and share Colorado history.

The Colorado Historical Society has worked to create a world-class Colorado History Museum, but our current facility is inadequate to help us achieve our goals. In 2005, an Urban Land Institute study confirmed that CHS and the Colorado Judicial Department have outgrown their shared city block and that the museum should move to a new location. We investigated many sites for relocation, and, in the spring of this year, one distinct location rose to the surface: Civic Center.

Why Civic Center?

A civic center is a complex that contains governmental functions and offices, performing arts, museums and other cultural facilities. A civic center is also about people — where people gather to foster important civic and cultural exchanges on a daily basis.

Most would agree that, apart from the annual festivals, Denver’s Civic Center park currently lacks this type of daily exchange. Why? A recent space-use analysis showed one reason may be because most people tend to skirt this area because of unclear entry points, a lack of amenities and perceived safety issues.

CHS is proposing an estimated $100 million investment in Civic Center to develop a new Colorado History Museum on the west side across from the historic McNichols/Carnegie Library building. This plan also includes restoring the historic building, which would house the Stephen H. Hart Library and Denver’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Include amenities like food service and what is created is a venerable destination in Civic Center, one that attracts people from all over the state and the world daily.

Tens of thousands of children, families and seniors — tourists and residents alike — already visit the Colorado History Museum. Relocating the museum into Civic Center doesn’t just provide CHS with a new location that will help us achieve our goals, it also is the location itself that is exceptional. The site reinforces to visitors and residents, locally and statewide, that we, as Coloradans, value our heritage.

We are not the first to consider a building for this space. For the past century, prominent urban planners and architects envisioned a complementary building across from the McNichols building, and the city’s 2005 master plan for Civic Center slated this lawn to be developed as either a formal garden or a structure. Our proposal respects the city’s master plan and the historic integrity of Civic Center — including the trees.

CHS and the city have discussed this proposal in a variety of public forums since July, and will continue the discussion until late October.

During these discussions, some say Civic Center should remain as is. But is the status quo best for Civic Center? The city charter allows for a museum in Civic Center. So, if not this, then what better proposal is there to activate this space, while the museum and the McNichols restoration funding go elsewhere?

I, for one, feel that the synergy of benefits for the museum, the McNichols building with the library and DOCA, Civic Center and a city-state partnership are a unique opportunity and warrant this move. It is a partnership that could help reclaim Civic Center as a place in which all are comfortable and proud to gather and explore who we are today, where we are going and the collective history that defines us.

Therefore, I challenge that we discuss this proposal not in terms of what might be lost, but rather what will be gained. Let’s focus on how working together we can engage people in Civic Center.

Ed Nichols is president and CEO of the Colorado Historical Society. He also serves as board chairman of the Central City Opera House Association.

READER COMMENTS

One of the reasons for not going to the Colorado History Museum is the painful lack of parking in the area. Try a location with more parking not less.

Granted Civic Center Park needs restoration and the McNichols building would make a fine library, cafe and what ever. But the open space is more important to the city than a museum. We need a new history museum but not in CIVIC CENTER PARK.

Granted Civic Center Park needs restoration and the McNichols building would make a fine library, cafe and what ever. But the open space is more important to the city than a museum. We need a new history museum but not in CIVIC CENTER PARK.

Granted Civic Center Park needs restoration and the McNichols building would make a fine library, cafe and what ever. But the open space is more important to the city than a museum. We need a new history museum but not in CIVIC CENTER PARK.

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