Denver City Council has approved a roughly $3 million contract to design renovations at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, an overhaul of the Montbello Branch Library and a new shade plaza at Montbello Civic Center Park. The vote, cast last week, covers design services only, with the three bundled projects together expected to cost about $25 million once construction begins.
The council approved the contract on October 22, according to Denverite, which reported that city staff bundled the Blair-Caldwell renovation, the Montbello library overhaul and the creation of a Montbello cultural plaza into a single package. All three projects are funded through Denver's voter-approved Vibrant Denver bond program, a six-year, $950 million general-obligation effort meant to fund 58 projects citywide without raising taxes, according to the Denver Public Library. Coverage of the council committee's discussion identified the design firm awarded the contract, though the firm's name has appeared inconsistently across reports as either Handprint Architecture or Hamprint Architecture.
A council committee briefing described a construction window targeted for the second quarter of 2028 through the fourth quarter of 2029, per the same citizenportal.ai account of the meeting. That timeline tracks with Denverite's reporting that construction on all three projects is expected to start in mid-2028 and could wrap by late 2029.
Why the Projects Were Bundled Together
City staff grouped the Blair-Caldwell renovation with the two Montbello projects in part to consolidate community engagement, including neighborhood meetings and surveys, the Denverite report states. The bundling also helps the city meet its deadline to start construction within six years of the bond's approval.
Committee members reportedly pushed back on timing concerns during the design-phase discussion, pressing for sequencing that avoids multiple long branch closures, according to citizenportal.ai's account of the meeting. Denverite reported separately that Denver City Council members have urged the city to minimize library closures so residents retain access, since both the Blair-Caldwell and Montbello branch libraries are expected to close during construction.
Councilmember Shontel Lewis, who represents Montbello, said the library is a community asset and should reopen as quickly as possible, according to Denverite's reporting.
What's Planned for Blair-Caldwell
The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, which opened in 2003, was envisioned as a research library focused on African American history in Denver and the Rocky Mountain West. The library sits at 2401 Welton St. in the Five Points neighborhood, where it serves as a cultural and historical center for African Americans in the Rocky Mountain West, according to a Denver city planning document.
Renovation needs at the building include modernization, accessibility improvements and upgrades to climate control systems protecting its special collections, per Denverite's reporting. The city's bond planning materials describe potential work including elevator modernization, reconfigured library and museum spaces, and fire-safety, lighting and technology upgrades.
Montbello Library and Plaza Upgrades
The Montbello Branch Library, located at 12955 Albrook Dr., was last renovated in 2010. Planned work there includes replacing HVAC systems, reorganizing community spaces and replacing decaying plumbing, Denverite reported. City bond documents separately describe potential infrastructure updates, space modernization and outdoor seating.
Across the street from the library, Denver plans to build a shade structure with seating and gathering spaces at Montbello Civic Center Park, along with improved pathways through the park. Bond planning documents describe the shade plaza, also referred to as La Plazita de Montbello, as intended to provide a gathering space for families, local vendors and cultural expression events.
Funding Figures Still Being Sorted Out
Dollar figures tied to each individual project have varied across different points in the bond process. A revised city bond list from July 2025 recommended $12.3 million for the Blair-Caldwell renovation and $10.915 million for the Montbello library, while earlier Denver Post election coverage cited $12 million for Blair-Caldwell and about $11 million for Montbello. The same bond list recommended $1.5 million for the Montbello shade plaza project.
Those figures sit within a broader library push: more than $30 million of the Vibrant Denver bond is earmarked for projects supporting library branches across the city, the Denver Post has reported, including about $4.5 million for a full renovation and historic preservation of the Decker Branch Library and roughly $1.6 million to build an idea lab at the Green Valley Ranch Library. For now, the $3 million contract covers design phases only, with the bigger construction dollars to follow once blueprints are finalized.
