Well, it’s summer! I hope that you are enjoying lunch and dinner at your favorite restaurant patios. However, if you need an incentive to get out and about in Downtown, try this – the Downtown Denver Summer Trail. Where you can Wander. Win. Repeat. It’s your monthly guide to making the most of downtown all summer long. Each month, there will be a new itinerary of 10 featured outings for you to discover. You can win different prizes each month. Use this link to get started: https://www.downtowndenver.com/summertrails
UpDoNA Annual Meeting: Don’t forget, our Annual Meeting is Tuesday, June 9th, from 4:30-7:30 p.m., at Maggiano’s. Be sure to arrive at 4:30 p.m. to check in so that you are ready for Mayor Johnston’s arrival at 5:00 p.m. The cash bar and passed appetizers will be ready for you upon arrival. We will also have Doug Tisdale, Downtown Denver Development Authority Board Member, Veo micro mobility representatives, and other guests. Use this link to RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/upper-downtown-neighborhood-association-annual-meeting-tickets-1989917733508?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Downtown Denver Partnership has moved the 16th Street Security Team in house. All public safety ambassadors are now employees of the Downtown Denver Partnership. Our new public safety ambassadors will be wearing highly visible yellow shirts instead of the blue and black polos worn by Allied Security. Make sure to stop and introduce yourself to our new ambassadors.
RTD has announced that on June 7th work will begin on the Downtown Loop. The work includes reconstruction of the straight rail segments, excluding intersections. Work will occur on Stout from 14th to 19th Streets, 19th Street between Stout and California, and on California from 15th to 19th Streets. The D, H, and L line trains will be impacted. The good news is that this work will not require any complete street closures, however, one-two lanes will be closed. The bad news is that the downtown loop will be closed from June 7th through the first quarter of 2027!
World Cup Soccer at Skyline Park 1 – It’s time for soccer! Colorado Rapids are excited to present Soccer Celebrations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup! We will be able to watch live games at our own Skyline Park 1 soccer fields. The Rapids will also host live viewings of every FIFA World Cup 26™ match on large outdoor screens. There will be food vendors, retail, and surprise guests. Games begin on June 11th and run through July 19th.
DDDA Projects – Office Building Conversions: A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend a Downtown Denver Partnership tour of two building conversions in Upper Downtown. Our first stop was the 14-story Petroleum Building at the south end of 16th Street. Built in 1957, it was once the tallest building in Denver and is known for its nuclear-proof core. The conversion project has been approved, received DDDA funding, achieved historical status, and has all the needed permits. Demolition has already begun. The project includes 178 studio to three-bedroom units, 10% of which will be AMI affordable. The project should be finished in 13 months.
The second conversion project we visited was the two building towers of the High Fidelity Plaza located at 621 and 633 17th Street. These towers were built in 1964 and have also been designated historical. A building conversion for these two towers had been delayed for months until a recent land lease dispute was settled. The project has received DDDA approval and has arranged additional financing. The project is meant to be a comprehensive community with 700 studio and three-bedroom units, a bodega market, bank, bookstore/library, café, co-working spaces, childcare, and rooftop pool and deck. Construction will begin this December and take 32 months to complete. When the first tower opens, the second tower will be 50% complete.
Legislative Update:
Municipal Sentencing Bill: The Health and Safety Committee met on May 13th wherein the Bill Sponsors discussed the changes they have made to the proposed Bill. Several concerns about the proposed Bill remained, including a catch all provision which applied a broad, generalized penalty to a wide range of municipal offenses capping them at 10 days in jail and a $300 fine. The Sponsors have since removed most offenses from the catch all provision and have now introduced the idea of a Commission to determine the appropriate penalties. The Commission would be comprised of 20 members including city departments, attorneys, advocacy groups, city council members, and others such as DPD, DFD, CDPHE, DLCP, DOTI, etc.
A big concern remains for us. Several offenses have been reclassified as Level 4 offenses. Some of those offenses include shoplifting under $300, public camping, disturbing the peace, and trespassing. These types of offenses, and the revised sentences, directly impact downtown safety and downtown businesses.
While several members of the Health and Safety Committee still have concerns about the proposed Bill, the committee voted the Bill through to City Council for its first reading. That will occur during the June 1st City Council Meeting. For additional information, please refer to Gil Vondrasek’s Safety Committee newsletter article.
Downtown Denver Business Improvement District wants to hear from you. The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District (BID) is interested in downtown resident opinion regarding the services provided on behalf of the 120-block improvement district. Your feedback and comments will help the BID know how it is doing, what improvements need to be made, and the best way for it to deploy its resources. Use this link to take a short survey: 2026 Downtown Denver Environment Survey
Good News for Downtown. Recently, Visit Denver announced that Denver tourism increased in 2025. Denver had 37.6 million visitors and generated $10.5B in tourism spending! Richard Scharf, President and CEO of Visit Denver, said that record setting attendance at the Colorado Convention Center, the grand opening of 16th Street, and a packed event calendar helped drive our strong tourism numbers. Tourism numbers for 2026 should be another good year for tourism thanks to festivals, concerts, sporting events, and outdoor experiences. Downtown will be hosting Outside Days, a three-day celebration of outdoor culture and adventure and Denver Pride Fest on 16th Street.
I’ll talk to you again in July!
Lisa L. Pope
President
Thumbnail attribution: Leo Marce
