New Projects in City Park

City Park Friends and Neighbors is pleased to present two outstanding speakers for our November 7 program:  Alex Gutierrez, Senior Manager of Outreach for the Mayor Johnston Administration and Edward Scholz, Vice President of Finance and Business Operations for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). Alex will speak about Mayor Johnston’s vision for Denver’s parks, particularly City Park. Alex has consulted with East Denver Parks District Planner, Mallory Roybal, about several new City Park projects in the southeast corner of City Park. One is to convert the South Meadow (the expanse of blue grass lawn south of DMNS) to a meadow of native grasses and plants. Another is the Living Land Acknowledgement that will establish native plantings in the South Meadow and also the Lily Pond suggested by local native American tribal members and community groups. The third project will convert the east playground that borders the east bank of Ferril Lake into a picnic area and gathering space. All these projects are recommendations from the 2018 City Park Master Plan Update (pg.63).  https://issuu.com/mundusbishop-denver/docs/final_city_park_master_plan_update Denver Parks and Recreation has drafted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to send to on-call contractors for these projects and anticipates beginning implementation in 2025.

East entrance, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Ed Scholz will report on plans for the DMNS East Plaza Revitalization project that will transform the east entrance where Infinity (formerly Imax) Theater-goers enter in the evening and the plaza outside the entrance into an inviting indoor/outdoor space for museum visitors and park-goers to enjoy. The historic staircase will be revealed with removal of the existing canopy.  Designs for new landscaping, surface improvements and outdoor seating are underway. The project aims to improve program offerings like regular sensory-friendly screenings and Free Night programming and also aims to create spaces for private events, like weddings and parties. Ed will present a slideshow that shows the current design concepts for this exciting new museum project.

Alex Gutierrez

Alex Gutierrez is the son of immigrants from Aguascalientes, México. The eldest of five boys, Gutierrez began working in politics at a young age due to two major events: the September 11 attacks and the fight for LGBT+ Equality.

Wanting to give back and help the many activists who came before him, Gutierrez has spent nearly a decade in the political landscape by helping elect effective leadership and inspire community involvement and engagement.

During Mayor Mike Johnston’s Mayoral campaign, Gutierrez showcased his exceptional organizational and mobilization skills in the field all over the city from throughout the campaign. Immediately after the election he got to work as one of the Assistant Deputy Directors of then Mayor-Elect Mike Johnston’s Transitional Team by managing Transition Committees focused on five city department.

Edward Scholz

Edward Scholz is Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and is responsible for all traditional administrative functions as well as guest, volunteer, and retail food operations.   He previously served in various financial roles for the City and County of Denver, including as the Budget Director, Deputy CFO, and CFO.  His studies of music and finance led him to an MBA in non-profit management from Binghamton University in NY. He is currently a member of the Audit Committee for the City and County of Denver and serves on the board of the Public Education & Business Coalition.

The program will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Carla Madison Recreation Center, 2401 East Colfax Ave. in the Multi-Media Room off the lobby from 5:30-6:30 pm. There is parking available north of the center, accessible from 16th Avenue. We recommend attending in person to easily access Ed Scholz’s slideshow of new design plans for the DMNS east entrance. To attend the meeting by Zoom, please click here to register for the event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvcu6oqjwiE9XmLgh_mI0p-G_mijU4RdDD. Come with all your questions and concerns. Alex and Ed really want your feedback! Light refreshments will be served.