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Over the next two days, we’re highlighting 10 projects set to receive funding from the city’s new $100 million investment to revitalize the downtown core.

Backed by the Downtown Development Authority, these projects aim to bring new housing, public spaces, businesses, and energy into downtown without raising taxes. It’s the start of a $570 million plan to make Downtown Denver feel less like a pass-through and more like a place to live, work, and hang out.

We’re kicking things off with the McNichols Building! As part of the DDA package, $7 million is going toward reimagining the historic McNichols Civic Center Building.

Planned upgrades include a full-service kitchen, outdoor garden dining, and a new arts marketplace which will help turn the Civic Center into a true cultural destination.

To understand where it’s going, it helps to remember where it started.

Originally opened in 1910 as Denver’s first Carnegie Library, the McNichols Building was one of the earliest major civic structures in Civic Center Park. It's neoclassical design by Albert Ross aligned with Mayor Robert Speer’s City Beautiful movement, which shaped the district’s layout and architecture.

After the library relocated in 1955, the building was used for municipal offices.

It was renamed in the 1990s to honor Governor Stephen McNichols and later sat largely vacant until the 2010 Biennial of the Americas sparked its revival.

The McNichols building then reopened in 2012 as an arts venue, with major renovations in 2016 modernizing the interior.

Now, with this new investment, it’s poised to become more active and accessible with a ground-floor arts marketplace, restaurant and patio, and possibly a second-floor museum.

This is just one piece of the puzzle. Stay tuned as we break down all 10 projects reshaping downtown.