Denver committee advances $3 million library design contract; Montbello branch expected to close
The committee’s 7-0 vote moves the proposed contract forward. Library officials say two bookmobiles will serve Montbello during construction, while nearby service locations remain under discussion.
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Denver’s Parks, Art and Culture Committee voted 7-0 on Oct. 6 to advance for filing a proposed $3 million design contract covering two libraries and Montbello Civic Center Park.
Montbello Branch is expected to close during construction. A Denver Public Library official told the committee that two bookmobiles had been moved from southeast Denver to Montbello to provide service while the branch is closed. Officials also discussed the Montbello recreation center and adjacent Boys & Girls Club as possible locations for services or programming, but no arrangement was finalized. The official said the branch would not close early and that the library would work with the community on where to move programs and services. The closure duration remains unsettled, the committee discussion shows.
The committee approved Resolution 26-1452 for filing, a committee-stage step rather than final approval of the contract. The official meeting minutes record the vote. The city’s matter page lists the measure as “Approved for Filing” and does not show a later City Council action in the record reviewed.
The proposed agreement would hire Handprint Architecture Inc. for design services, funded by Vibrant Denver GO Bond 2026B. The city’s contract request lists a contract amount of $3,005,589.87, a term through March 15, 2030, beginning at contract execution, and a 21% Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprise participation commitment. The request says the firm was selected through a competitive process.
The three projects have separate budgets totaling $24.7 million: $12.3 million for Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and Museum, $10.9 million for Montbello Branch Library and $1.5 million for the park’s shade plaza, according to the city’s project presentation. That total is separate from the design contract, and the presentation does not allocate the design fee among the projects. Planned work includes building-system and climate improvements at Blair-Caldwell, repairs and layout updates at Montbello Branch, and a shaded gathering space with accessibility improvements at the park.
Construction for the bundled projects is tentatively forecast from the second quarter of 2028 through the fourth quarter of 2029. Bond Office staff described that as a worst-case window and said timing would be refined with the construction manager/general contractor. Individual project schedules have not been settled.