Arkins Park (RiNo ArtPark) 2

Adaptive reuse approaches at the new urban park reflect the eclectic Denver neighborhood.

The City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation and the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative (NDCC) determined that a new park was needed in the emerging River North (RiNo) neighborhood. The City envisioned the park to be a direct reflection of the up-and-coming trendy arts district – an intimate, creative, and iconic park that would highlight the sustainability, arts, and culture of the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as enhance the ecology of the river corridor in new and creative ways.

Wenk Associates led a multi-disciplinary team in preparing a master plan and construction documentation for the 3.5-acre park, located along the South Platte River, and in providing conceptual design for the adjacent riverfront promenade that will eventually connect to downtown Denver. The public outreach process included a unique, grassroots approach to engaging the public and stakeholders, as well as public meetings to present ideas and solicit community feedback. The park plan consists of an adaptive reuse approach to repurpose existing buildings as plazas and makerspaces. The park will also provide lounge areas with moveable seating, performance areas, flexible event space, creative play areas, public art, urban agriculture, stormwater gardens, and access to the South Platte River.

See 2023 ULI Colorado Impact Awards Inspire Category Winner video.

Project team:
Wenk Associates – Lead Consultants, Landscape Architects
Tres Birds – Architects – Architecture, Building Demolition, Custom Furniture
Laura Curry – Public Outreach/Cultural Audit
BCER Engineering, Inc. – Lighting Design/Electrical Engineering
Entitlement and Engineering Solutions (EES) – Civil Engineers
HydroSystems*KDI – Irrigation
Iron Woman Construction – Contractor
LT Engineering LLC – Structural Engineers
Pedro Barrios & Jaime Molina – Art sculptures
Pinyon Environmental – Materials Management Plan
RockSol Consulting Group – Geotechnical Engineers