On a sunny weekend in downtown Denver, thousands of residents took in the new-look 16th Street corridor as the area celebrated a new beginning.

“Out of the 15 years I’ve lived here, this is the most people I’ve ever seen outside,” Appaloosa Grill Manager Heather Delaney said, watching hundreds of people walk by the newly renovated 16th Street midway at Welton.

The new-look corridor represents new life for businesses and nearby residents as the 16th Street reconstruction, formerly known as 16th Street Mall, nears an end.

Over the weekend, thousands walked the new-look corridor, which features amenities for all. Festivities included live music, games, DJs, a beer garden, the IFSC Speed Climbing World Cup, a kids’ adventure zone, and a bazaar featuring over 70 local artisans and makers.

Many 16th Street goers were inside businesses and restaurants along the 1.25-mile strip.

The former “16th Street Mall” has been labeled as one of the crown jewels of Denver.

In the past three years, as downtown Denver struggled to recover from the pandemic, the expansive construction taking over its main street compounded its problems and pushed many businesses to leave, driving up the retail vacancy rate to nearly match the city center’s office vacancy rate.

“People haven’t been wanting to come downtown since COVID-19,” Delaney, who has worked at Appaloosa for a year, said. “Now, people seem more willing to come out.”

For several years, 16th street was a maze of fencing, with construction workers and the sounds of dump trucks backing up and temporarily halting traffic.

Crime and homelessness continue to be concerns along the corridor, prompting an increase in Denver Police Department presence and security measures in the area.

“We have to change the perception,” Lisa Pope, president of the Upper Downtown Neighborhood Association, said. “Everyone still thinks that it’s not safe downtown … We can’t change things if we keep focusing on the negative.”

Downtown Denver Partnership’s $175 million renovation faced delays, leaving construction fencing outside businesses in a confusing maze of pathways, steering some people away from businesses.

Downtown Denver Partnership CEO Kourtney Garrett said the 16th Street strip is up to 71% back to weekday foot traffic.

“Our evenings and weekends are nearing and sometimes over pre-pandemic levels,” she said. “It’s a completely refreshed experience.”