Denver moves forward with City Park bandstand rebuild

Nearly seven months after a fire destroyed Denver’s City Park bandstand, residents finally got a clearer picture of what will replace it.

At an Oct. 6 community meeting hosted by City Park Friends and Neighbors at the Carla Madison Recreation Center, Denver Parks and Recreation officials walked residents through the rebuilt bandstand’s design, construction timeline and fundraising effort.

“I am so excited to see the rebuild all come together,” a community member remarked. “It’s going to be so gorgeous.”

The replacement is expected to keep the familiar footprint and historic character of the structure that burned while adding better accessibility, improved acoustics and more fire-resistant materials. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with substantial completion targeted for May 2027 — just ahead of the next City Park Jazz season.

That community response has helped move the project from the charred remains of the old bandstand toward construction. The March 26 fire caused such extensive damage that structural engineers determined the bandstand could not be repaired. The cause remains undetermined.

“I’m just kind of nervous about this because what if someone has malicious intent and burns it back down,” another community member said at the meeting. “But I know that everything happens for a reason, and I hope it doesn’t get re-burned down.”

Denver Parks and Recreation hired local landscape architecture firm Mundus Bishop to design the replacement. The new structure will resemble the previous bandstand, though getting there required months of design review.

“We had to explore different options for roofing material,” said design team member Glenn Jarrett. “I think a large part of it was how recognizable the old structure is to the community and that metal barrel tile look.”

Denver’s Landmark Preservation Commission initially approved the project in August with conditions involving the roof. Commissioners pushed for the replacement to retain the steeper roof pitch and red metal barrel tiles familiar to park visitors rather than use a flatter design modeled more closely on an earlier version of the bandstand. Updated plans received approval in September.

“In this new structure, if you can see on the far left, the ceiling will have a volumetric shape with a raised ceiling,” said Katie Russell, project manager. “That’s going to help improve acoustics as well as direct and indirect lighting that will be able to be adjusted for performances and events.”

The Oct. 6 meeting marked a shift from deciding whether the bandstand could be saved to showing neighbors what comes next. City Park Friends and Neighbors had organized the event in part to celebrate a community fundraising campaign that met the city’s $250,000 insurance deductible.

“We wouldn’t be here without every single contribution and all the support of the people who did contribute,” said City Park Friends and Neighbors board member Patty Paul. “This is truly a community effort and worth celebrating.”

After the fire, City Park Friends and Neighbors, City Park Alliance, Denver Park Trust and 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark’s Word of Thanks campaign began raising money for the rebuild. More than 900 donors contributed about $125,000. The remaining amount came from philanthropists Scott Miller and Tim Gill, who provided a matching $125,000 grant through a fund they direct.

The combined donations covered the full insurance deductible, allowing city money to be reserved for necessary upgrades and improvements. For neighbors who had spent months watching the damaged structure sit fenced off beside Ferril Lake, the fundraising success gave the meeting a celebratory tone.

“I have been going to events at City Park since I was just a kid. I’ve walked my dog through the park, used the pedalboats there, gone to City Park Jazz there,” said local resident Julia Mizler. “I’m honestly so ready for the rebuild, and all the memories that will come with it.”

Its history stretches back to 1896, though the structure has been rebuilt or substantially modified several times since then. The familiar version that burned this year was itself the product of previous reconstructions, including work in 1984 and 1994.

Nature added another complication. 

Demolition was temporarily delayed after inspectors found nesting swallows beneath the damaged structure. Because the birds are federally protected, crews had to wait for them to leave before work could proceed. Weekly inspections eventually confirmed the nests were vacant in August.

With the design approved and fundraising complete, contractor mobilization and fencing are expected this fall. Organizers are also planning a community steel-signing event as construction gets underway.

“Hopefully, our steel-signing event will be in early November. There will be food, music, and a whole lot of fun,” Paul said. “We will post on our website once we have an exact plan in mind for this.”

The goal remains to have the bandstand ready before City Park Jazz returns in June 2027. For Gordon Robertson, director of planning design and construction at Denver Parks & Recreation Department, reaching that point will reflect far more than a city construction project.

“It takes a village, and you guys have stepped up,” Robertson said. “We’re all in this together.”