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City outlines East Bookend public‑private partnership for Civic Area; RFP targeted late 2026 with Phase 2 $18M investments
Summary
Parks staff updated the Landmarks Board on the Civic Area East Bookend P3: the city received nine RFI submissions, will include the Boulder County Farmers Market as a core partner in an RFP targeted for late 2026, and plans Phase 2 park improvements supported by a Council‑approved $18 million budget to upgrade 13th Street and adjacent park space.
Parks and Recreation staff on June 3 briefed the Boulder Landmarks Board on a planned public‑private partnership (P3) for the Civic Area East Bookend and outlined a multi‑year schedule that moves from RFI to RFP to pre‑development and, eventually, to design review and construction.
Shihomi Kurigawa, project manager for the Civic Area East Bookend, said the P3 will focus on city‑owned parcels in the East Bookend and aims to integrate and reuse landmarked buildings — specifically the Atrium, the Storage and Transfer building, and the Tea House — while delivering community benefits such as arts and culture space, indoor/outdoor facilities for the Boulder County Farmers Market, and improved public open space. "We're looking to do some infill development on East Bookend, and thinking about how we get community benefit out of either arts and culture, food market hall, so all sorts of opportunity, maybe even housing," Kurigawa said.
Staff described the broader Civic Area plan (linking downtown, Pearl Street and CU campus) and noted that the city will pair P3 offers with Phase 2 park investments adjacent to the East Bookend. Kurigawa said City Council approved an $18 million funding allocation for Phase 2, which will include playground updates, expanded green lawn, potential bandshell improvements and upgrades to 13th Street intended to pedestrianize and electrify the corridor to better support events such as the farmers market.
On process and market interest, Kurigawa said an informal Request for Interest (RFI) posted in February 2026 produced nine submittals from teams ranging from full development teams to individual design firms; staff will use that input to shape a formal Request for Proposals (RFP). "We had all kinds of respondents, I believe it was 9 submittals total," Kurigawa said. The target release for the RFP is late 2026, with interviews and partner selection extending into early 2027, pre‑development and conceptual design in 2027–2028, and potential construction beginning in 2029 depending on phasing and market conditions.
Board members asked whether RFI submissions are publicly available; Kurigawa said a summary of responses is posted on the project website and that many respondents had engaged with the farmers market and proposed community‑oriented uses. Board members emphasized preserving the functionality of the existing asphalt plaza used during the farmers market and raised questions about arts integration and the potential for private partners to acquire adjacent privately owned parcels. Kurigawa said the RFP will clearly identify landmark properties and regulatory requirements and that the Landmarks Board will be invited to provide informal input on concept plans in 2027 and will participate in formal LAC reviews if design changes affect landmarked buildings.
Next steps: staff will finalize the RFP over the coming months, issue it late in 2026, and return to the board for informal design input during concept planning. Any design work that affects landmarked properties will proceed through the Landmarks process, with LAC reviews expected at the earliest in 2028.
