Progress with Potholes: Delgany Bridge’s Path Forward

The Delgany Bridge Committee has made important progress – though not without its challenges – on the path toreopening Delgany Bridge. Progress toward resolving ownership has been slower than we would like and adjustmentshave been needed. It has been helpful to have support from the mayor’s office, KSE and additional city stakeholders.Right now, we need urgency – particularly from the City Attorney’s Office and DOTI. We are also dependent oncommunity members whose continued support is critical to spark that urgency and get Delgany Bridge reopened.

Ownership Path: New Direction

For several months, we explored the possibility of having The Greenway Foundation or a special district temporarilyassume ownership of the bridge during the repair phase, with a transfer to the City for long-term stewardship. Aftersignificant evaluation, it has become clear that this is no longer a viable path:

• The Greenway Foundation, after consulting legal counsel, concluded that the liability involved in owning thebridge during repairs is too Their attorneys could not recommend that their board take this on.
• Many special districts were approached, as was recommended by the city, but ultimately declined to participate.

Despite this, the Greenway Foundation remains committed to supporting the Delgany Bridge project. They continueto host the community fundraising campaign and have pledged to remain involved as a partner in the process.

City Ownership: Promising But Slow

 With these alternate paths closed, we have turned, again, to the City of Denver for a long-term solution. Encouragingly,the Mayor and his team have expressed their support for the City taking ownership of the bridge, both for the repair phase and ongoing maintenance.

In coordination with city departments like DOTI (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure) and Parks andRecreation, the Mayor’s Office has secured agreement in principle that the City will step in to own the bridge. This is asignificant win, especially as some of these departments were previously hesitant to engage.

However, there is a major caveat: while the City will own the bridge, they are not providing funding for the repairs.The community will still need to identify or raise the full cost of the repair work.

Current Bottleneck: City Attorney Review

The biggest challenge right now is timing. Although the Mayor’s Office has agreed in principle to move forward, theformal proposal is currently under review by the City Attorney’s Office. While Sterling Simms, the Mayors OperationsCoordinator, is hopeful we can have this reviewed in a matter of weeks, others have suggested it could sit for severalmore months.

This delay is a serious concern. The bridge has already been closed for over three and a half years, and further delaysonly compound the difficulty in fundraising, planning, and community outreach. We are actively exploring ways toencourage the City Attorney’s Office to prioritize this review and issue a favorable response that allows us to moveforward.

Alternate Plan is Also Being Pursued 

In parallel, we are exploring the creation of a Special Purpose Entity (SPE) to support the project. An SPE could potentially:

• Offer greater control over timing and
• Manage certain aspects of repair outside of city processes, saving time and
• Serve as a clearer point of coordination with City

That said, this option would come with some additional costs and would require input and buy-in from the City to be effective. We’re in the early stages of initiating those conversations and will keep everyone updated on how this may fit into our broader strategy.

Community Fundraising Success

Despite these hurdles, the community response has been inspiring. So far, we’ve raised

$43,902.96 from 120 individual donors. This includes having achieved the $5,000 matching pledge from LoDoNA!This strong show of local support has gotten the attention of city officials and demonstrates that Delgany Bridge matters to our neighborhood and beyond.

Fundraising remains essential—not only to meet the financial demands of the project, but also to demonstrate strong community support and sustained momentum. Every contribution, no matter the size, sends a clear message to theCity and lays the groundwork for attracting major donors. Once ownership is resolved, this visible public backing will be critical in making the case for larger philanthropic and institutional investment.

How You Can Help

We need your continued support—not just financially, but vocally. Please consider:

• Contacting the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and other relevant officials to let them know the communitywants the Delgany Bridge reopened as soon as possible; contact information can be found here.
• Spreading the word about our fundraising campaign;
• Sharing this update with neighbors, friends, and local stakeholders who care about walkability, connectivity, and public infrastructure.

Thank you for being part of this. Your support continues to make a real difference.

Brenda Roy Brenda@DelganyBridge.org DelganyBridge.org