In observance of the Memorial Day Holiday on Monday, May 25, the City of Boulder is adjusting its operations schedules.
Spring 2026 Survey
The city is working with a national research firm, Probolsky Research, on a randomized and statistically valid survey to better understand community concerns and opinions about potential 2026 ballot measures. Boulder voters may receive a phone call, text or email to complete the survey, which will be available in both English and Spanish.
Located within downtown Boulder, Pearl Street Mall is a nationally renowned historic pedestrian mall and city park covering four blocks. Pearl Street Mall opened in 1977 and will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2027. In its fifty years, Pearl Street Mall has become a beloved public space and major attraction for Boulder locals and tourists, resulting in signs of wear and tear.
Pearl Street Mall highlighted above is four pedestrian blocks from 11th Street to 15th Street.
The project will provide necessary immediate improvements to Pearl Street Mall while also understanding its long-term needs and opportunities for the future.
The project will address critical maintenance improvements and provide smaller enhancements that will support the 50th Anniversary celebration. Additionally, this project will study Pearl Street Mall’s existing infrastructure and utilities and develop recommendations for long-term improvements.
PHASE I: 2026-2027
Taking Care of What We Have - Prioritize and implement critical maintenance and minor improvement needs to Pearl Street Mall (from 11th Street to 15th Street).
Existing Conditions Assessment: Identify and prioritize needs for long-term maintenance, major infrastructure and utilities improvements, design enhancements, and policy updates.
Engagement Window 1: Share a foundation of information on the Pearl Street Mall Refresh project and provide updates on maintenance and minor improvements.
Temporary Installations: Support activation for Pearl Street Mall’s 50th Anniversary through temporary placemaking installations.
Engagement Window 2: Support Pearl Street Mall’s 50th Anniversary celebration and gather feedback on temporary installations and improvements. Share findings of Existing Conditions Assessment and Recommendations for long-term maintenance and improvements for Pearl Street Mall.
PHASE II: (future phase not yet funded or scheduled)
Phase 2 of the Pearl Street Mall Refresh project will use recommendations from the Existing Conditions Assessment and community feedback to guide a design for larger improvements to Pearl Street Mall, ensuring it remains vibrant and functional for years to come. Phase 2 will also seek to raise funding for these improvements, as this phase is currently unfunded and unscheduled.
The Pearl Street Mall Refresh will be managed by City of Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR). BPR will coordinate closely with city departments, partners, planning and engineering consultants and the Downtown Boulder Partnership (DBP) throughout the project process. DBP will lead event programming for the 50th Anniversary, while the city will be responsible for physical improvements. This project has prioritized elements identified through BPR’s asset management planning, in DBP’s 2022 Downtown Boulder Vision Plan, downtown engagement initiatives, and relevant city plans such as the 2018 Retail and Vibrancy Study and 2023 Historic Places Plan.
Pearl Street Mall is within the Downtown Historic District. The district is generally bound by Walnut Street on the south, Spruce Street on the north, 16th Street on the east and 10th Street on the west. The Downtown Historic District is the largest and most architecturally significant group of commercial buildings in the city, including the Boulder County Courthouse, the Boulder Theater and the Boulderado Hotel.
Pearl Street Mall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is from 11th Street to 15th Street and extends from building facade to building facade. Pearl Street Mall's boundary includes the entire four-block mall and its adjacent alleyways. It includes play nodes, public restrooms, seating areas, food vendor/information structures, and art installations. Pearl Street Mall's boundary crosses the intersections of Broadway, 13th, and 14th Streets, but does not include the street crossings.
The designation boundary for Pearl Street Mall is in white and the boundary for Downtown Historic District is in red.
The development of Pearl Street Mall from a vehicular street into a pedestrian mall was in response to the community’s initiatives for urban places. It is representative of the local community’s actions and of the national trend of the revitalization of downtowns of all sizes through pedestrian-oriented initiatives. As Boulder’s downtown declined, community and civic leaders initiated Pearl Street Mall as a mechanism to draw businesses and users to a revitalized city core.
The original plans for Pearl Street Mall brought aspects of an urban park into the downtown city core along Pearl Street. Pearl Street Mall was dedicated as a public park on August 6, 1977. The design included brick paving, nodes for community gathering, including a children’s play node with animal sculptures for climbing, and an open space at the Boulder County Courthouse.
More information about the history of Pearl Street Mall can be found in the 2022 Boulder Historic Places Plan linked below the Related Documents section.
