Farewell, ‘Mall’? 16th Street’s Overhaul Will Come With A New Identity

The $175M transformation of Denver’s 16th Street Mall won’t be limited to widening sidewalks, adding family-friendly features and upgrading infrastructure. The overhaul will also likely include a rebranding. One piece of the current name on the chopping block is “mall.”

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has already started referring to the corridor as simply “16th Street,” a low-key shift in his recently released 2025 vision that revealed his broader ambitions for the city.

“The 16th Street Mall represents so much to downtown and our broader city and, to that end, we see this body of work — which indeed asks the question as to whether the word ‘Mall’ fits the place we are building today — as a critical part of the work being done to welcome Denver and the world back to this world-class public space this year,” Downtown Denver Partnership Marketing and Communications Senior Director Britt Diehl told Bisnow in an email.

The DDP is leading the process to “reposition” the storied Mile High destination, Diehl said. It is collaborating with branding agency DNCO in a $100K deal to give the 16th Street Mall new and improved vibes.

DNCO worked on Vancouver’s South Flats district, London’s Silvertown district and San Francisco’s Pier 70 community.

The firm’s strategy director, Simon Yewdall, told the Denver Business Journal that the street’s history is an asset, noting that 16th Street was originally designed as a pedestrian hub when other cities were embracing suburban malls.

The overarching vision is to position 16th Street as a popular gathering place that unites Denver’s neighborhoods, Yewdall said, rather than just a shopping district.

The bulk of the construction on 16th Street is expected to be completed this summer.