With a new year and an increasingly wavery economy in play, it's time to update ongoing projects involving preservation, architecture and the arts.

Think "caution."

Civic Center

* What: Design guidelines to be used by the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission and others to address restoration projects and the addition of new elements and art to the park at the city's heart.

* Status: For several weeks a committee of commission members and representatives of the city's Parks and Recreation Department has met to clarify disputed aspects of the long-awaited guidelines.

The major sticking points, as discussed Tuesday, are the size and number of information kiosks on Broadway and near the McNichols Building, as well as the placement of permanent and temporary art pieces and the longevity and frequency of temporary art installations.

The 2007 Better Denver bond program means about $9.5 million for Civic Center to restore some historic elements, and that means about $95,000 in art through Denver's Percent for Art program - plus the potential of work stemming from the 2010 Biennial of the Americas.

The concern, as commission member Steve Leonard puts it, is "the overall impact on Civic Center" of any new feature.

* Next steps: Bring a final set of guidelines back to the landmark commission, probably on Feb. 17.

CU Health Sciences Center

* What: The future of two architecturally significant buildings designed by Victor Hornbein and Ed White along East Eighth Avenue.

* Status: Consider this a slow-down situation. A move to designate the buildings as Denver landmarks and spare them from demolition for a Shea Properties mega-development was postponed so the parties involved could continue to discuss the project and process.

Also, Shea project manager Peter Culshaw said this week that the closing on the property - it's still owned by CU - has been pushed back 10 months from the first quarter of 2009 because of factors including the current economic conditions.

* Next steps: The nominations for landmark designation, originally to go to Denver City Council in early January, are on the agenda for April 20 - for now, anyway.

Colorado Council on the Arts

* What: The state's arts funding agency is addressing proposed major cuts in state support: a 50 percent cut recommended by the governor and 70 percent recommended by a Joint Budget Committee analyst (tabled for now). The council now receives about $1.6 million in state gambling funds and another $700,000-plus from the National Endowment for the Arts.

* Status: Council chief Elaine Mariner is traveling the state asking arts organizations and artists for their suggestions in terms of priorities in funding and learning how they are dealing with the bad economy. A session Tuesday in Denver attracted about 100 people.

The deadline to apply for the council's major grant program in 2010 ($1.3 million given last year) has been postponed indefinitely. A survey on the impact of Colorado's "creative workforce" was released this week, indicating that more than 180,000 Colorado workers fit in that category. And the council will discuss the budget situation at its March 6 meeting.

* Next steps: Asking legislators for support and holding more meetings to solicit ideas. Those include two today, in Craig and Steamboat Springs; Sunday in Glenwood Springs; Monday in Montrose; Tuesday in Durango; and Wednesday in Alamosa. (Information: coloarts.org.)

Clyfford Still Museum

* What: A museum in Denver to house more than 90 percent of the work by (and archives of) the reclusive Abstract Expressionist artist.

* Status: Last March, a preliminary design for the building was unveiled by architect Brad Cloepfil. Since then, the design has evolved, with a potential change in the concrete skin. Tests continue, but instead of including glittery elements, Cloepfil now sees cast-in-place concrete walls marked by layers of crushed stone that recall the stratification of the Colorado landscape. Director Dean Sobel still characterizes the groundbreaking as happening in late spring and a projected price tag remaining at $33 million. No new word on fundraising until the groundbreaking, Sobel says.

* Next steps: Some legal housekeeping remains to be done through city ordinances. One will allow the city to accept material from the estate of Still's widow, the other to deal with boundary issues. The museum is moving farther toward the corner of West 13th Avenue and Bannock Street, meaning an alley must be vacated and moved.

Mary Chandler is the art and architecture critic. chandlerm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2677