Bannock Street Now Closed In Front Of Denver City-County Building

DENVER (CBS4) - The block of Bannock Street in front of the Denver City-County Building is now closed permanently. The city blocked it between 14th Avenue and Colfax on Tuesday.

The street is often closed for festivals like Taste of Colorado. The city also tested an extended closure of the block two years and determined travel patterns would work.

When the city first announced the plan in February, it said it would reopen the stretch in May after installing tree planters and creating a street mural.

"As a city working hard to reduce vehicle traffic and expand multi-modal transportation – a city that invests in growing and preserving park land – this transformation just makes sense," Mayor Hancock said in the news release dated February 27.

"Bringing our Civic Center up to the steps of the City and County building expands a civic space we are already very proud of into a more welcoming gathering place for generations to come."

There will be bike lanes in both directions on that block of Bannock. The city will also maintain access to the McNichols Building parking lots for anyone renting that facility.

The final vision is to turn the street into a front porch of the City-County Building reaching to the city's front yard, Civic Center Park.