PRESS CONTACT:
Grace Markley, Philosophy Communication
720.421.9633 | grace@philosophycommunication.com

Since Federico Peña first inspired residents to “Imagine a Great City” almost 40 years ago, Denver’s mayors have helped build a major modern city in America’s Rocky Mountain West.  “Denver is at an important inflection point, and it is timely to share our thoughts on how we see Denver catapulting into this decade and the future,” said Peña.

Former mayors Federico Peña (1983–1991), Wellington Webb (1991–2003), and Senator John Hickenlooper (2003-2011) gather with Mayor Michael Hancock (2011–present) to discuss the last four decades and how their work has shaped our growing capital city. The conversation will be facilitated by Laura E. Aldrete, Executive Director of Denver Community Planning and Development. 

Peña, Webb, Hickenlooper and Hancock collectively share ten terms as Denver’s most influential elected officials. Their legacies surround Denverites throughout the built environment of the city, which is the central topic of History Colorado’s exhibition, Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City. Peña’s leadership resulted in Denver International Airport and the arrival of Major League Baseball to the city, for example, and Webb’s administration redeveloped the South Platte River Corridor and supported expansion of the Denver Art Museum into iconic new facilities, as well as a new home for the Denver Broncos. Named as one of TIME’s best big-city mayors, Hickenlooper rallied the urban renewal movement of Lower Downtown, the legalization of marijuana, and initiatives to promote sustainable development and reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions. Today, Mayor Hancock’s administration is preparing Denver for the future by creating jobs and elevating Denver as a thriving city while preserving its historic buildings and staying true to Denver’s heritage. 

“The key to having a better future is to really understand the past,” shared Hickenlooper. “Mayor Peña knew that, Mayor Webb knew that, Mayor Hancock knew that, and when we all get together, we will talk about our history and hopefully the community can use that to make an even better future.”

This historical event is History Colorado’s grand finale to Building Denver, which closes September 5. The exhibition presents Denver’s history through the buildings and iconic spaces that define the city and embody a record of its residents’ shared hopes, ideas and aspirations. 

WHEN:
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

TICKETS:
Members $10, Non-members $15
Purchase tickets at Events | History Colorado
The event will be live-streamed for ticket holders that prefer to watch from home.

LOCATION:
History Colorado Center, 1200 North Broadway, Denver CO 80203
Doors open at 6 p.m. and guests will have the opportunity to walk through the Building Denver exhibit before the program starts at 7 p.m.

About Building Denver
Stoked by climate change, public-health crises, and a burning quest for more justice within our metropolis, Denver is in the midst of accelerating urban and social transformation. Its population has exploded over the last two decades, and while the city is more diverse than ever, it was also identified in a recent study to be one of the most rapidly gentrifying cities in the nation. How did we get to this point? Where are we, exactly? And where should we go from here? Building Denver’s critically acclaimed core exhibit, called Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City, and its many supporting facets will help answer some of these questions.

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 143-year-old institution that operates eleven museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is the nation’s largest preservation program of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state.

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and ten other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information.