The City Park bandstand is set to be demolished ahead of a full reconstruction — but first, the city has to wait for its tenants to vacate the premises.
A fire of unknown cause irreparably damaged the century-old structure in March, and the city announced months later that it would build a new one.
But while the demolition was tentatively scheduled for summer, it faced a series of delays — from asbestos tests to the fire investigation.
And by the time the city was ready for the teardown, the burned husk had unexpected squatters.
“The barn swallows had already decided that, burned or not, it was still a great place to build a nest,” said Jolon Clark, the city’s parks director, at a meeting this week.
Swallows are a common bird in North America — in Colorado, eight kinds of swallows visit during the warmer months.
Barn swallows are the most common — they’re as small as a finch, with cinnamon-colored chests and steely blue wings and tail feathers. Like many other swallows, they build nests with mud and line them with grass, feathers and other stronger materials.
Droves of the little birds have been seen swooping over City Park’s Ferril Lake in recent weeks,, delighting Denver’s birdwatching enthusiasts.
It isn’t the city’s first run-in with the bird. In 2020, staff installed nets around the Washington Park boathouse to prevent swallows from nesting in the historic building.
Demolition of the bandstand is tentatively scheduled for fall, when swallows typically leave the state. City officials aim to have a new bandstand open in time for the 2027 City Park Jazz season.
The bandstand dates to 1929 and has since become an icon of Denver, due in part to the summertime City Park Jazz concerts it has hosted since 1986.
