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Fire, Car Crash Aren鈥檛 The First Trials For Denver鈥檚 Historic Civic Center Park

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Courtesy of Denver Fire Department
Early Wednesday morning, someone set fire to 'Tree of Transformation' in Civic Center Park.

For the second time in a week, parts of Denver鈥檚 Civic Center Park have been damaged.

Over the weekend, a hit-and-run driver took out part of the park鈥檚 more than 100-year-old marble . Wednesday, the interactive installation was set on fire. The sculpture, which features an antique piano with a steel tree growing out of it, was a total loss.

鈥淭he edge of the park in particular has taken a bit of a beating lately,鈥� said Scott Robson, executive director of the Civic Center Conservancy. Especially the part of the park along Colfax Avenue, which Robson described as a bit of a 鈥渨ar zone.鈥�

鈥淒rivers whether they鈥檙e intoxicated or whatever the issue might be, miss the curve and drive into the park,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ver just the last year (they鈥檝e) destroyed trees; I think, four different light poles along the park; and a really large part of public art was destroyed by a car nine months ago that is still under repair.鈥�

That can be expensive. The damage to the railing will cost the city about $75,000, Robson said. The sculpture, which was on loan from the artists, was valued at around $50,000.

The non-profit hopes to work with Denver Parks and Recreation and Public Works to find a way to prevent cars from driving into the park, while maintaining its historic nature.

鈥淧eople are really surprised to learn that and one of only 25 in the entire state,鈥� Robson said. 鈥淪o that raises particular concerns when you have this kind of damage occurring on a regular basis.鈥�

In the meantime, they are working with Denver-based , the artists behind 鈥淭ree of Transformation,鈥� to figure out how to take it down, and marble from Washington is being ordered to repair the railing. The Denver Police Department is investigating both incidents.

Stacy was 皇冠网址's arts and culture reporter from 2015 to 2021.
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