Is it time for a real restaurant in Civic Center Park?

Do you think the old Carnegie Library, now known as the McNichols Building (144 West Colfax Avenue), would make a great restaurant? If so; you're not alone; that's one of the concepts that's come up frequently for the circa 1909 building, which now houses city offices, as assorted committees and...

By Patricia Calhoun

August 10, 2009

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Do you think the old Carnegie Library, now known as the McNichols Building (144 West Colfax Avenue), would make a great restaurant? If so; you're not alone; that's one of the concepts that's come up frequently for the circa 1909 building, which now houses city offices, as assorted committees and task forces consider the future of Civic Center Park, and look at the success of the eateries in Chicago's Millennium Park and New York's Central Park.

Now's the time to make that concept concrete: The city just issued its RFP for the McNichols Building redevelopment, with a pre-proposal conference on August 11 and a final deadline for proposals of September 4.

So there's not a moment to lose: The vendors at the Tuesday Civic Center Eats events are a good start -- so why not make food a permanent part of the park? What kind of restaurant should the city put in Civic Center Park? Post your thoughts below. And in case you'd like to submit your own RFP, go to www.denvergov.org/purchasing

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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