The state Capitol is starting – just starting – to look like its old self again, after three weeks of work by crews to clear away graffiti and other damage.

The east side, facing Grant Street, is mostly graffiti-free. Even the Native American statue on the east side, which was at one point covered with red paint, is back to its former visage. 

The 6-foot security fence, which was taken down in preparation for more protests, is back in place. The Colorado State Patrol has increased the number of troopers, including those who keep an eye on the building overnight. More troopers are patrolling the area by car, according to a CSP spokesman.

The Capitol’s west and south sides, which took the brunt of the vandalism for two months, will take longer. While much of the graffiti spray-painted with black paint is gone or nearly so, red and orange paint are harder to remove, according to the Department of Personnel and Administration, and months of intense summer sun have baked that paint into the granite. 

The base of the Civil War statue is now surrounded by a plywood box, allowing for tagging without further damage to the base. The plaques that once listed the names of Coloradans who died in the Civil War were removed three weeks ago, after one of the four plaques was stolen. 

Other buildings in the complex damaged by graffiti are also starting to look like themselves again, including the Department of Revenue office on 14th Street.

Even City O’ City, the restaurant at 13th and Sherman streets that served as a nighttime hub for graffiti, has now taken down the boards and looks like it’s back to normal, (or, at least, COVID-19-style normal).

However, windows at Capitol complex buildings – including the Capitol, legislative services building, and 1313 Sherman St., which houses DPA, state archives and the Department of Natural Resources – are still boarded up, and it may be months before they come down. That’s due in part because of concerns that protesters and those who have persistently tagged the building may be back between now and the November election.

New graffiti has shown up on the Capitol’s 1st floor exterior in the past week.

But state officials with the Department of Personnel and Administration say it will take the rest of the year to repair and restore Lincoln Park. 

After the state fenced off the park, the department quickly dispatched environmental contractors to do an initial cleaning of items left behind, including human waste, used needles and syringes, and other potentially hazardous trash, according to a DPA statement Thursday. 

“There is extensive vandalism and damage to landscaping, irrigation, lighting and electrical fixtures, and the park’s numerous monuments. Evidence of rats re-infesting the park was also discovered,” the statement said. 

“The staff discovered numerous safety and health hazards in the park. The safety of the public and our workers is of greatest importance,” said DPA Executive Director Kara Veitch. “The park will remain closed while repairs are made and until the landscaping in the park can have a chance to recover.”

DPA has already spent $70,000 for environmental cleanup and graffiti removal, and $16,069 to erect fencing around the park. An additional $137,825 will be needed to restore landscaping, irrigation and security cameras. The costs for repairing electrical and lighting fixtures is still to come.

The State’s Risk Management Property Fund will cover the majority of the cost of cleanup and repairs, with insurance picking up a portion of the costs.

The park closure is estimated to last until December.