Dear Lynx community,

In August, we gathered at Independence Plaza with CU Denver leadership, civic leaders, and industry partners to mark the University of Colorado’s acquisition of the building and launch of our entrepreneurship and innovation hub in collaboration with Denver Economic Development & Opportunity. We look forward to welcoming you to Independence Plaza for an open house on October 23, where you can tour and explore the building. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Independence Plaza reflects our belief that, as a public urban-serving research university, we succeed when our city and community succeed. It also demonstrates how our physical environment can create new opportunities for our learners, employees, and communities. As CU Denver evolves, we must continue to think intentionally about our entire physical footprint and how it can support increased collaboration, innovation, and connection across the university.

Today, I am pleased to announce that during the 2026–27 academic year, we will undertake a thoughtful, phased evaluation of our spaces across the Auraria Campus and downtown Denver. This process will bring together voices and perspectives from across our university community to ensure we act strategically and in alignment with our 2030 Strategic Plan Refresh.

The CU Denver Space Utilization Working Group will be co-chaired by College of Architecture and Planning Dean David Rifkind and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning Cary Weatherford. The full working group membership, with representation from across our campus constituencies, will be announced in the coming weeks.

This working group will assess how our current spaces are being used as well as the space needs for each CU Denver school, college, and administrative unit, with the goal of identifying ways to make better use of the resources we have and support long-term growth. 

The working group is charged with prioritizing the following:

• Enhancing student experience and success, emphasizing experiential and career-connected learning opportunities
• Supporting employee experience and success, by fostering connection and belonging
• Enabling strategic enrollment growth, with particular focus on programs with strong market potential
• Strengthening collaboration and efficiency, by addressing fragmented occupancy, spaces that no longer fit their intended use, and duplication of functions and services

Later this fall, the working group will facilitate a series of engagements to hear directly from our community about current challenges and gather feedback on how we can make the best use of our CU Denver footprint. 

I want to thank both David and Cary for their leadership on this important work. Our physical spaces are more than places where we work and learn, they drive how we connect with our city, serve our students, and empower our employees. By approaching this work both creatively and strategically, we will position CU Denver for continued success.