After more than four years, the chain-link fence surrounding Denver’s Central Library finally came down Tuesday.
The largest of the Denver Public Library’s 27 branches, in the heart of downtown, has been closed or heavily restricted to the public since the pandemic shut its doors in March 2020.
During the years since, the 540,000-square-foot building partially reopened as it underwent more than $60 million in renovations.
On Sunday, the nearly 70-year-old building — which underwent a major expansion in the mid-1990s — will fully reopen, welcoming bookworms, knowledge-seekers and those simply looking for a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life.
“I just can’t wait to see the people back in the building,” said Rachel Fewell, the Central Library’s director, who led local media on a tour of the revamped building Tuesday.
The library was a flurry of activity as workers and staff solidified the finishing touches before this weekend’s grand reopening.
Window washers cleaned newly installed glass. Contractors scaled impossibly tall ladders. Signs posted around the building warned of fresh paint.
Stepping into the foyer, Fewell noted an openness to the layout that hadn’t been there before, along with streams of natural light and a more user-friendly wayfinding system.
For example, the circulation desk was more prominently featured in the middle of the ground floor, Denver City Librarian Michelle Jeske said, so patrons can find it more easily and immediately come into contact with library staff who can help.
In a spacious, circular room with tall ceilings and plenty of windows sits the Commons — a new gathering space with plenty of seating and desktop space for folks to grab coffee together, work on their laptops or browse books and media along the periphery.
Fewell envisions the spot as Denver’s living room — a neighborhood meetup where people can work, read, talk and be in community together.
Across from the Commons is a private event space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Civic Center Park. On Tuesday, vibrant, yellow leaves falling from the trees billowed past the windows for a picturesque view.
The view was so stunning, library staff joked they had someone stationed up in a tree shaking the branches.
The space is expected to be used for author visits, city news conferences or corporate events, and will be open for public booking come spring or summer once the city determines a fee structure.
By the numbers
Back in the lobby, a new grand staircase — featuring 146 steps — invites patrons upward into the library’s inner sanctum, replacing escalators that were difficult to repair and less open and airy, Jeske said.
Around 50 tons of escalator scraps were removed from the building, broken into smaller pieces and will be recycled.
The staircase is about as tall as a stack of 250 books, according to the Denver Public Library.
Upstairs, the library has added 15 meeting rooms that are first come, first served.
Restrooms have been upgraded and renovated along with elevators.
Americans with Disabilities Act compliance has been improved throughout the building.
Security equipment has been upgraded throughout the library and the security desk moved to a more central location.
And while the children’s library has been reopened since 2022, the Central branch is opening a brand new area just for teens.
The library is shelving young adult books in an area accessible to all ages, but a pink line on the floor marks where only teens and new hires dedicated to work with the teen population are allowed. The teen space features ample seating, soundproof work rooms, homework help, a quiet area and gaming spots.
Whether serving youth experiencing homelessness, young people in need of a place to do school work or school groups learning about the wonders of library databases, Fewell said she expects the space to be a safe haven for many and a preventer of youth violence.
A rising price tag
The Denver Central Library renovations fell victim to ballooning construction costs due to inflation during the pandemic, Fewell said.
When the Central branch partially reopened in July 2021 after a 16-month COVID and construction closure, the full price for the ongoing renovation work was expected to be $50 million. The project has ended up costing more than $60 million as costs for steel, glass and other building materials went up.
The Central renovation funding came from multiple sources, including:
- $38 million from a 2017 Elevate Denver bond program in which Denver voters approved $69.3 million to renovate the Central branch and 10 other city libraries
- $5.25 million from Strong Library, Strong Denver — a 2022 ballot measure in which Denver voters approved raising property taxes to support libraries
- $5.7 million from private funding through DPL Friends Foundation
- $10 million from City and County of Denver Capital Improvement
In the interim, small portions of the library were opened to serve the public in makeshift computer and collection zones. Thirty-five computers were accessible for the couple hundred of people who were coming through the small space each day, Fewell said.
Now, a sprawling computer and media center features 180 computers with more privacy for users. Media specialists will be walking around able to assist users with their tasks, Fewell said.
Trauma-informed design choices were utilized in spaces heavily trafficked by more vulnerable populations, such as the computer lab, Fewell said. Calming colors and clean patterns replaced busy, loud colors.
The library’s makerspace, where sewing machines, 3D printers, a recording studio and craft area are free for use, will be back open, too.
Soon, the clean, new floors will be full of the pitter-patter of children’s feet. The meeting rooms will be occupied. The sounds of flipped pages and sipped beverages — a cafe space is in the works, but not up and running just yet — will spill into common spaces.
The nooks and crannies of the city’s largest library branch will be filled once more, with 2,000 to 2,500 visitors a day expected. The librarians will be waiting with book suggestions, resources and eager smiles.
“It’s such a relief,” Fewell said.
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