In the 1990s, Denver�s population grew by 30 percent � the equivalent of 1,000 new people a week, every week for ten years. More than $6 billion of public projects were completed in the �90s, including construction of the nation�s largest airport, three new sports stadiums, a new light rail system, new convention center, five upscale shopping and entertainment complexes, 15,000 new hotel rooms, a new world class aquarium, a new unique downtown amusement park and hundreds of new restaurants.

Downtown Denver was completely revitalized with 8,000 new residents moving into the area, the majority of them in a restored historic district called LoDo.

And Denver�s boom is continuing. There are now more than $1.5 billion in additional new projects that will again transform the city on many levels.

ARTS & MUSEUMS

Denver Art Museum to Double in Size by 2006 The Denver Art Museum is doubling in size with an amazing new $91 million wing designed by Daniel Libeskind, known for his design of the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the War Museum in Manchester, England. He was also recently selected to do the redesign of the World Trade Center space in New York City.

The spectacular building will be made of titanium, granite and glass and will resemble the petals of a flower opening in a series of building shards that flare out from the center. One of the shards will tilt towards the original building (designed by Gio Ponti of Italy) and will provide a walkway between the two structures, as well as offering beautiful views of downtown Denver. The new addition will house galleries for special exhibitions, larger galleries for touring exhibitions, new permanent galleries for modern and contemporary art and an auditorium. When complete, the Denver Art Museum will be able to house any touring show that has ever been organized.

The new wing creates a trio of adjacent buildings near Civic Center Park by world-renowned architects � the Denver Public Library designed by Michael Graves, the existing Denver Art Museum designed by Gio Ponti and the new Libeskind building. www.denverartmuseum.org Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum has the largest and most comprehensive collection of art between Kansas City and the West Coast with over 40,000 works of art, including what many regard to be the finest collection of Native American artworks.

Denver Zoo to be Completely Redesigned The Denver Zoo (the fourth most popular zoo in America based on paid attendance) has embarked on a $125 million program to refurbish large parts of the facility, turning the center into a savanna-like African plain. Scheduled to open in June 2004, Predator Ridge will feature landscaped pathways that lead visitors through rock outcroppings and past thornbush to a re-created African wildlife reserve from Kenya. The hallmark exhibit - a Lion Kopje (Coe-pee) -- includes 30-foot high rock ledges with a pride of six lions. The Kopje is partially surrounded by Predator Ridge that helps interpret the story of predator and prey. Visitors may see lions, African hunting dogs and spotted hyenas that seemingly mingle together, but are actually separated by ingenious moats and landscaping. The new exhibits will join the already successful Primate Panorama � a $14 million, seven acre primate exhibit and Northern Shores, an area devoted to animals of the far north that features an underwater polar bear viewing deck. After the Lion Kopje, the Zoo will add an Asian Tropical Forest exhibit with a treetop restaurant. www.denverzoo.org

Auditorium Theatre to Undergo $75 Million Restoration

In the November 2002 election, Denver voters approved $75 million to completely restore Denver Auditorium Theatre and transform it into a 2,400-seat showpiece called Newton Auditorium � a facility that will be a cornerstone to the Denver Performing Arts Complex (PLEX). The PLEX is already the second largest performing arts center in the nation (after Lincoln Center) with ten theatres seating 10,000 people. The refurbishing of the Newton Auditorium Theatre will add 400 new seats (the theatre currently has 2,000 seats) and provide a new state-of-the art venue with perfect acoustics and sightlines, all in a magnificent theatre that will retain its historic ambiance. The Denver Auditorium Theatre opened in 1908 as the site of the Democratic National Convention. While the theatre has undergone some refurbishing throughout the years, it has lately fallen into sad state. The restoration will return it to its former glory. The theatre will be used for Broadway touring road shows and for the Colorado Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Troupe and Opera Colorado, as well as for special events and functions. The theatre is adjacent to the newly expanded Colorado Convention Center. $27 Million Red Rocks Amphitheatre Restoration Includes New Visitors Center The world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre got better in May 2003 with the addition of a new $27 million Visitor Center. The Visitor Center provides guests with a rockin� bar and grille, interactive educational displays explaining the geologic and music history of Red Rocks, a performer�s Hall of Fame display, plenty of restrooms, and much more. Opened in 1941, Red Rocks is located 12 miles west of Denver and is a 9,000-seat amphitheatre carved out between two flanking 500-foot high red rock boulders. With all the lights of Denver spread out along the horizon behind the stage and the dramatically lit rocks flanking the stage, it is one of the most amazing concert venues on earth. Everyone from the Beatles to U2 have held memorable concerts here. Construction of the 30,000 square foot Visitor Center, which is located underground at the top of the amphitheatre, began in the fall of 2001. A significant amount of thought and care went into the project in order to preserve the original look and feel of the distinguished venue. Red sandstone was brought in from Lyons, Colorado, the same town that provided the original sandstone for the Amphitheatre sixty-two years ago.

Performers and patrons will delight in the fabulous, clear view of the surrounding mountains and star-filled sky from this new outdoor terrace, located between Creation Rock on the north and Ship Rock on the south, the two majestic anchors of the Amphitheatre. A series of hiking trails start from here, meandering through the massive red rock outcroppings the dot the landscape. The Visitor Center and its amenities is open year-round, Monday through Sunday, 9am-6pm. Coordinated tours take place between Red Rocks and the nearby Coors Brewery in Golden and Dinosaur Ridge across the valley in Morrison. Dinosaur Ridge is a new museum and walking tour that marks the spot where the large dinosaur bones were discovered in America. 303.697.6047 or visit www.redrocksonline.com

Savoir Fare to Open in Metro Denver A new 60,000 square foot European marketplace is planned for spring 2006 in metro Denver. Called Savoir Fare, the plans call for an elegant restaurant, cooking school, bookstore and European-style marketplace � with gourmet meats and cheeses, bakery and flowers, and fresh, prepared meals � all under one roof. The new attraction will also offer space for a spa, rooms for receptions, a bank and retail space. Savoir Fare will be located at South University and East Hampden Avenue, just outside of downtown Denver. The site of the new European marketplace was formerly a seminary. In addition to the marketplace, the 11-acre site will include several housing options.

Space Odyssey Opens at Denver Museum of Nature & Science The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is already the fourth largest museum of its kind in the nation and it underwent a dramatic growth with the June 2003 opening of Space Odyssey, a 24,000 square foot space museum that gives visitors the feeling they are traveling across the universe. Also opened was Gates Planetarium, featuring one of the first digital planetariums in the world, as well as an array of innovative and interactive exhibits. Visitors can experience what it�s like to dock a space shuttle at an astronaut training center, fly into Deep Space to explore black holes and supernovae or walk on the surface of Mars. www.dmns.org.

Restaurants

More than a Dozen New Restaurants Open in Denver The economy may be giving people indigestion, but there�s no sign of it in Denver, where some of the city�s top chefs and restaurant owners are leading an invasion of more than a dozen new bistros that are newly opened or scheduled to open in the next few months. Creating the most buzz is Adega Restaurant and Wine Bar, which opened in May 2002 and has already been selected by Esquire and Conde Nast Traveler as one of the nation�s best new restaurants. The restaurant features more than 4,000 wines (50 by the glass) and chef Bryan Moscatello was named one of the 2003 Best Chefs in America by Food & Wine Magazine. . Some of the other new dining spots include:

Vega. This Latin fusion bistro was opened by chef Sean Yontz, recently of Denver�s highly successful upscale Mexican restaurant Tamayo. Mizuna. Frank Bonnano�s California-Mediterranean restaurant won the readers award for best new restaurant and best chef from local 5280 Magazine.

Clair de Lune. Popular local chef Sean Kelly has opened this small, eight-table New American and Mediterranean bistro. LoLa. A sylish, nuevo Latino restaurant in Denver�s Old South Pearl Street neighborhood. Opal. Nouveau American food with a Japanese attitude.

Solera. Chef Christian "Goose" Sorensen - late of Mel's Bar & Grill, Starfish and Michael's of Cherry Creek, has a neighborhood restaurant serving New American cuisine.

Aquarela Restaurante. A high-end Brazilian-French restaurant with Chef Jenival. Cielo. The former Denver Buffalo Company space reopened with an entirely new design for the upscale Mexican bistro Cielo.

Luca D�Italia. A rustic Italian caf� opened by Frank Bonnano, chef of Mizuna.

The Capital Grille, an award winning steakhouse, serves dry-aged steaks, chops and fresh seafood in a sophisticated atmosphere with classic features of rich mahogany, leather and custom appointments.

Mao Asian Bistro is the $3 million hot spot in Cherry Creek, featuring funky music and fantastic fare.

Zengo, a new Latin-Asian fusion eatery in the Riverfront neighborhood of Denver, offer unique flavor combinations (tacos filled with sushi rice, seared tuna and guacamole) that are funky, yet tasteful.

Bistro Vend�me is designed to evoke the look and feel of a long-established, family-owned bistro plucked from a Parisian street corner and features a carefully crafted menu by chef/owner, Eric Roeder that is described as �French soul food�.

Tom Tom Room is an innovative sushi and Robatayaki (Japanese open-flame charcoal grill) restaurant featuring an intimate lounge, healthy menu, full service bar, extensive sake list, and late dining.

Mezcal, a casual restaurant designed to conjure up the feeling of an old, neighborhood Mexican cantina, features a lively ambiance, affordable prices and an extensive list of tequilas and mezcals which position it to be a local favorite.

Denver has always been a center for Southwestern and Mexican food and now there is a growing number of South American restaurants. Caf� Brazil, El Trapiche and the Buenos Aires Pizzeria offer Latin tastes from Columbia to Brazil.

Nuevo Latin-American cuisine can also be found in the haute Mexican cuisine of Tamayo, the tortilla soup and tequila lime shrimp of Vega, the Caribbean spices of Cuba Cuba and in the Mexican coastal seafood at Lola. More traditional Mexican fare of marinated pork, cheek meat and chile rellenos can be found at Taqueria Patzcuaro, El Taco de Mexico and at several dozen wonderful neighborhood restaurants throughout the city.

Denver�s Asian population nearly doubled in the 1990s leading to a huge influx of Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Asian fusion restaurants. From hip new eateries such as Cherry Creek�s Mao Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar and LoDo�s Zengo to the perennial Vietnamese favorites located in a row along South Federal Boulevard of New Saigon, Dalat Vietnamese and T-Wa Inn, Denver offers a wide array of Asian tastes and styles.

Hotels

New 1,100-room Hyatt Hotel to Open in 2005 The City of Denver is financing an 1,100-room Hyatt convention headquarters hotel that will be built on a site directly across the street from a new $300 million expansion of the Colorado Convention Center.

Ground was broken on the hotel on June 30, 2003 with the hotel set to open in late 2005. It will be a 37-story tower with ballrooms of 30,000 and 15,000 square feet. A four-story atrium will run for an entire city block, offering a dramatic entrance to the building at street level. This highly transparent area will offer views into and out of the lobby and will be the location of the restaurant and convention bar. The hotel, located at 15th and California, will be directly across the street from the main entrance to the Colorado Convention Center and just one block from Denver�s 16th Street Mall, a mile long pedestrian promenade that runs through the center of downtown. The hotel will also be across the street from a light rail station. The architectural highlights include a vertical spire element that rises 50 feet above the building forming a beacon that will provide a strong identity for the hotel in the downtown skyline during both night and day to greet arriving convention delegates.

New $40 million 196-room J.W. Marriott to Open at Cherry Creek A new $40 million, 196-room J.W. Marriott will open in June of 2004 across the street from the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. The 11-story hotel will feature oversized guest rooms, including a penthouse-level presidential suite, four one-bedroom suites and two concierge-level floors. All rooms will have high speed Internet access, a 27-inch flat TV, and a moveable desk. The property will feature a signature 100-seat restaurant called Mirepoix, operated by Chef Bryan Moscatello, creator of the award winning Adega Restaurant & Wine Bar. The hotel will also have a 9,000 sq. ft., full service day spa and a fitness center. A dividable ballroom will seat up to 300 for meetings.

With more than 420 stores, boutiques and restaurants, Cherry Creek Shopping District is the largest shopping area in metro Denver and home to Neiman Marcus, Saks, Tiffany�s and the famous Tattered Cover Bookstore. There are 30 J.W. Marriott hotels in the world.

Convention Center Expansions Colorado Convention Center to Double in Size In 1999, Denver voters approved a $300 million expansion of the Colorado Convention Center that will double the size of the building. Ground was broken on April 29, 2002 and the expansion will be completed on December 6, 2004, adding:

* 292,000 sq. ft. of new exhibit space; * 35,000 sq. ft. of new meeting space; * a new 50,000 sq. ft. ballroom; * a new 5,000-fixed seat lecture hall; and * a new 1,000-space parking garage. This will bring the completed Colorado Convention Center up to a total of 584,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space on one level, 100,000 square feet of meeting space on one level, and two ballrooms of 35,000 square feet and 50,000 square feet. When completed, the Colorado Convention Center will be the 6th largest facility west of the Mississippi and 15th largest in the nation. Parks & Gardens

New $6 Million Skyline Park to Transform Downtown The only public space on the mile-long 16th Street Mall is going to be redesigned into a pedestrian friendly, 3-block long downtown park. The $6 million redevelopment of Skyline Park will put the entire park at ground level with the Mall, making it more inviting. All Colorado materials of granite, marble and sandstone will be used in the new park, which will feature more grass and greenery. There will be tranquil fountains, including one that mimics a tumbling mountain stream. There will be space for a Rockefeller Plaza-sized ice skating rink in the winter. There will also be an information center and public restrooms. The original Skyline Park was developed in the 1970s by Lawrence Helpern and offered an �urban canyon� feel with concrete canyons and fountains. The park was not inviting and was generally ignored by residents and visitors for two decades. The redesign began in May 2003 and will open in spring 2004. At the center of the park is the D&F Tower, a historic skyscraper that was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River when it opened in 1909. New $2.7 Million Centennial Gardens in Downtown Denver After visiting the formal gardens of Versailles, France, Denver Mayor Wellington Webb was inspired to redesign the city�s new Centennial Park, located on the edge of the South Platte River Valley in downtown Denver. The result is an elaborate new $2.7 million, five-acre public garden that is a showpiece for this part of the city. Designed in part by the Denver Botanic Gardens, the new garden weaves together a traditional French garden design with a Colorado plant palette incorporating native shrubs, grasses, perennials and junipers. There are shaded areas for strolling, gardens in color themes, knot gardens and gardens of native plants. Centennial Park sits along the South Platte River near the site where Denver was originally founded in 1858. Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876 and is known as the Centennial State. The new park is part of a 24-year effort to revitalize the South Platte River. Once lined with auto junkyards, today the South Platte has 12 miles of bike paths on either side and a necklace of parks strung along the banks. The river has been dredged and offers rafting and kayaking through man-made chutes.

16th Street Mall Expanded The 16th Street Mall, a mile-long pedestrian promenade that runs through the heart of downtown Denver, was extended in 2002 to run an additional three blocks to Denver�s Union Station. Here, it links to a new light rail line that was completed in April 2002. The light rail line curves through the Central Platte Valley with stations serving the new football stadium, Invesco Field at Mile High; the new basketball and hockey arena, the Pepsi Center; Six Flags Elitch Gardens; Ocean Journey Aquarium; and the Auraria Campus. This new transportation link puts all downtown attractions within minutes of all downtown hotels. In addition, a new Millennium Bridge was built at the end of the 16th Street Mall to go over the South Platte River. The pedestrian bridge is a landmark structure with a steel mast that rises 145 feet in the air, anchored in place by a distinctive series of cables.

On the other side of the South Platte River, the pedestrian-only, tree-lined 16th Street Mall is continued for another two blocks in a pedestrian village atmosphere of shops, outdoor cafes, offices and new residential units providing housing for some 5,000 people.

1,100 Acres of New Parks at Former Stapleton Airport � New Area to Increase Denver Park Lands by 30 Percent A total of 1,100 acres of new Denver city parks will be built on the land that was formerly Stapleton International Airport. The area called �Stapleton� was once the 5th busiest airport in the world; today, it is the largest urban redevelopment in the United States. Ultimately, the 7.5 square mile area will feature a series of walkable urban neighborhoods that will eventually house 30,000 residents in 12,000 new homes. Retail and office space in the Stapleton development will provide employment for an additional 30,000 people. Plans for the new park land at Stapleton include: a new 80-acre urban park in the heart of the development that will become Denver�s largest park. Called Central Park, the new park will include an urban forest; a nature center with a wetlands wildlife habitat; creeks, rivers and fountains; picnic areas; a sledding hill; and a gathering place that can hold 1,500 people. Throughout Stapleton, there will be new bike paths, wooded areas, a golf course, playing fields, picnic areas and a major recreation center with aquatic sports.

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Media Contact: Jill Strunk +1 (303) 571-9451 jstrunk@dmcvb.org