News Release - Levitt Pavilion Denver Groundbreaking

City and County of Denver
Parks and Recreation
 
Cynthia Karvaski
o:720-913-0620
c: 303.819.0111
Cynthia.Karvaski@denvergov.org
  
City Breaks Ground on Levitt Pavilion Denver
 
DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Councilman Jolon Clark (Dist. 7), city officials and community members today celebrated the formal groundbreaking of the Levitt Pavilion Denver. The state-of-the art outdoor amphitheater, located at Ruby Hill Park in Council District 7, will host 50 free concerts annually once complete.
 
“Having access to the arts right in our neighborhoods is a wonderful way to bring new vibrancy into the lives of our residents,” Mayor Hancock said. “Not only will Levitt Pavilion bring live music entertainment and investment to the local economy, it creates another place for the community to come together in one of Denver’s most beautiful parks.”
 
Located near public transportation and regional bike paths, Levitt Pavilion will feature grass seating and utilize the natural topography of the park. Each year, the amphitheater will host 50 free concerts, featuring a diverse range of music genres from local to international talent. Site plans focus on creating a family-friendly environment with an open-air stage and canopy structure, state-of-the-art sound and lighting, backstage office and performer dressing rooms, public art and an outdoor concessions plaza.

 
Outside of the free Levitt Pavilion Denver concert series, the facility will be available for use by schools, arts organizations, outside concert organizers and other nonprofits. 
 
“The Levitt Pavilion Denver is ‎a key component of the Ruby Hill Park master plan and increased investment in and the surrounding neighborhood,” said Happy Haynes, Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation. “We are thrilled that our partnership with the Levitt Foundation is bringing another high-quality, unique and accessible amenity to our vibrant park system.”
 
In 2007, Denver voters overwhelmingly supported the Denver Better Bond Program that allowed the city to enhance and construct facilities that touch the lives of all residents. The design and construction of a new outdoor concert venue in Ruby Hill Park was among those projects recommended by Mayor Hancock in 2012 to receive funding through available cultural bonds in accordance with initiatives G and H.
 
Scheduled to be complete in summer of 2017, the amphitheater is part of the third phase of Denver Parks and Recreation’s multi-phase Master Plan to revitalize Ruby Hill Park. Phase 1 was completed in 2011 and included park-wide irrigation replacement and new park facilities on the upper west side of the park: a playground area, picnic shelter pavilion, restroom, community garden, upgraded walkways, an upper roadway and parking lots. Phase 2 of the Master Plan included the new mountain bike skills park which opened in July 2016 and improvements to the adjacent parking area. 
 
Levitt Pavilion Denver is the result of a partnership between Denver Parks and Recreation and the Levitt Foundation, who has built venues and concert sites across the U.S. in cities including Memphis, Arlington and Los Angeles. The site will be programmed and operated by Friends of Levitt Pavilion Denver, a local nonprofit dedicated to building community through music. 
 
“Levitt Pavilion Denver is working on a mission to increase access to the arts in the Denver community”, said Chris Zacher,  Executive Director Levitt Pavilion. “Mayor Hancock and his administration have been supporters of Levitt Pavilion Denver since we began this journey in 2012. We are grateful for his support, the City of Denver’s support and for all of the people who worked to make this dream a reality.”
 
Ruby Hill Park is located off South Platte River Drive and West Florida Avenue and offers year-round activities for the public and 80 acres of green grass and panoramic views of both the Rocky Mountains and Denver skyline. 
 
About Denver Parks and Recreation
Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities are unrivaled in the Rocky Mountain West. The DPR system spans over a 148-year history, from the first park created in 1868 to nearly 20,000 acres of urban parks and mountain parkland today. 
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The Game Plan
The DPR Game Plan is a community driven initiative the will define the next 15-20 years of investment and priorities for parks and recreation resources.  Your input can help define new parks and recreation centers, relevant programs, and how existing assets are maintained and enhanced in the face of financial constraints, climate change, shifting demographics and increased visitor usage.  Share Your Voice here.  For more information, visit www.denvergov.org/denveright.