Haselden Construction Inc and RNL Design will lead the design and build team. They, in turn, have hired Jirsa+Hedrick and Associates as the structural engineers; Carl Walker Inc. to design the parking structure; Concrete Frame Associates for structural construction; and Shaklee and Team Inc. for urban design. The contractors and architects are all locally based.

"We chose this group of professionals out of a large pool of qualified applications because they have a wealth of experience with complex projects of this type," says Craig Piper, the Denver Zoo's vice president of planning and capital projects, who will direct the team. "They are also committed to working with city officials, the zoo, the City Park Alliance and the neighborhood surrounding City Park to create a solid design solution."The project will double the number of spots. Construction of the City Park structure begins in the coming months and will take a year to complete.

The 28-year-old Haselden, founded in Denver, has built such projects as the Millennium Financial Center at 17th and Wazee streets in LoDo and the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino Mardi Gras Casino, both in Black Hawk. RNL is the largest architectural firm in the Rocky Mountain region, with offices in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Orange County.