STATEMENT OF INTENT:
The 16th Street Plan Steering Committee intends to review the physical condition of the Mall and determine a course of action that respects the importance of the original Mall design, including its purpose, general layout and building materials. The Committee’s goal is to make recommendations for the Mall’s future that address the following points in the Downtown Area Plan:
• Create and enhance recognized sub-districts along the Mall;
• Conduct a study of Mall infrastructure to assess its needs and to make recommendations to meet the goals of sustainability, usability and respect for the existing design; and,
• Re-evaluate 16th Street Mall transit service in light of the Downtown Circulator frequency, operation and technology.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
We, the 16th Street Plan Steering Committee, hereby commit to the following guiding principles when determining the long-term vision for the Mall:
The 16th Street Mall was designed to function as a pedestrian-transit mall and will continue as a pedestrian-transit mall in the future; The 16th Street Mall has historically served as the commercial Main Street in Denver and will continue to serve as a key catalyst for economic development in Downtown, both along 16th Street and along the streets perpendicular and adjacent to it; The 16thStreet Mall, nationally recognized for the quality of its design and craftsmanship, is one of Denver’s legacies and it, therefore, deserving of respectful treatment as it is rehabilitated for its next generation of use. The 16th Street Mall must be sustainable – economically, operationally and ecologically – and, therefore, its long-term plan must be flexible in order to accommodate for evolutions in infrastructure, communication and transit technology over the next 25 years.
The 16th Street Mall is the most widely recognized feature of Downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountain region, contributing greatly to the sense of place: it is the centerpiece of Downtown, it is one of Denver’s primary civic spaces and it must continue to be so in the future.
The 16th Street Mall’s pedestrian experience is the highest priority when considering other design and operational features, including but not limited to transit, streetscaping, programming and special events.
