Civic Center Park Begins Reopening This Week After Crews Remove Needles, Human Waste, Rodent Burrows
DENVER (CBS4) - Parts of Civic Center Park in Denver will be reopened this week after it was shut down in September over health concerns, including rats.
During the closure, crews addressed hazards including removal of food waste and litter, rodent burrows, human waste and pet waste as well as the cleanup of improperly discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia.
The park will begin reopening on Wednesday but not the entire space. Pioneer Fountain at the corner of Broadway and Colfax, MacIntosh Park Plaza at 15th Avenue and Cleveland Street and other areas within the park will remain closed for ongoing restoration. A phased reopening of the remaining sections of the park will happen as crews complete turf restoration, hardscape and stone repair.
In addition to the removal of needles, rodents and human waste, dead and dying trees have also been removed and additional new trees planted.
Denver Parks and Recreation is installing additional surveillance cameras and working with Xcel Energy to complete lighting upgrades in the park.
The curfew at the park remains in effect from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and entry into Civic Center Park is not allowed during those hours.