Spring is here and there is a lot to look forward to in Upper Downtown! So, let’s get right to it.
Recently, Gil Vondrasek and I attended a meeting with Evan Dryer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Johnston, to discuss additional resources that will be dedicated to the downtown area. Soon, Mayor Johnston and Chief Thomas will be announcing the specific plan at a public meeting. All UpDoNA members have been invited to attend. Details about the time and place will be announced soon.
The inaugural Denver Jazz Fest will be held April 3rd through April 6th. During the four-day event, there will be thirty shows at twelve different venues, including Dazzle Denver at DCPA. On Saturday, April 5th, from 12:00-4:00 p.m. there will be a free concert at DPAC Sculpture Park, 1736 Speer Blvd. There will be food trucks and a DPAC bar, so bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy an afternoon of jazz. (If there is inclement weather, the free concert will be held at the MSU Music Department, Kalamath Building, 1150 10th Street Plaza.) Also, during the four-day event there will be free live music at partner hotels in Upper Downtown. For times and locations, please visit the UpDoNA website at: https://updona.org For up to date concert information and for tickets sales, please visit: https://denverjazz.org Denver Jazz Fest and Dazzle Denver are UpDoNA Business Members, so purchase your tickets now to show your support!
The Colorado Convention Center is celebrating Earth Day on Monday, April 22, from 11:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be live music, food and beverages, exhibits, giveaways, and more. UpDoNA will be there again this year by the Big Blue Bear, so stop by and say hi!
Work has begun on “Welton Park” located at 19th and Welton. This pocket park had been neglected for years, but thanks to UpDoNA’s Arts & Beautification Committee and committee members Silvia Fernandez and Brent Strausbaugh, the park will now have indigenous plants, trees, flowers, a river rock path, and a water fountain. There will be an opening celebration when the park opens in mid-June. Thanks to Denver Parks and Recreation for providing the trees, plants and labor to turn this parcel into a beautiful pocket park for all to enjoy.
The Downtown Area Plan Advisory Board continues to work on plans for the downtown area. Currently, we are more than halfway through the process. There are seven identified building blocks that we work from: Innovation, Investment, Resilience, Connections, Stories, Play, and Equity. As an example, under the Play building block, one idea being discussed is to create a Downtown-area Park Financing District to direct revenue back to existing and new public space investments to fund on-going operations and maintenance. Also under consideration, is a 16th Street “Weekends on the Mall” program turning the street over to pedestrians while granting full use of the right-of-way for businesses to utilize, including universal alcohol permits. In addition, we are discussing reducing permitting for farmers markets, food trucks, and street events to incentivize more activation and programming.
Seven areas have been identified for focus: the Central Business District, Skyline/DPAC area, Ballpark, Broadway/Arapahoe Square, Civic Center, Cherry Creek/Speer Corridor, and Central Platte Valley. I’ll focus on the Central Business District and the entire downtown area here.
Here are some interesting statistics. Although downtown only covers 1.8% of Denver’s land area, it has 30% of the jobs, 20.3% of taxable value, and 21% of lodging and retail sales. In other words, downtown is less than 2% of the land area, but over 20% of its tax capture. In 2022, downtown employment surpassed pre-covid levels. Although downtown continues to have job growth, in-person workers are down by almost 50% of pre-pandemic levels. And it should come as no surprise that Upper Downtown continues to suffer from office vacancy is many of our buildings. The current vacancy rate is 26.5%; 7% higher than the national average. Twenty-seven percent of downtown visits are driven by cultural attractions and legacy employment centers. The top three destinations are in Upper Downtown: convention center/DPAC – 4.4m, Denver Pavilion/Paramount Theater – 3.6m; and commercial buildings, including 1801 California, Tabor Center, and Denver Place – 2.9m. Those three Upper Downtown destinations have more visitors than Larimer Square, Union Station, Coors Field, and Ball Arena combined!
These statistics and community input are driving our decision-making process. For the Upper Downtown area, we need to create a mixed-use downtown neighborhood by infusing activity, public spaces, housing for families, visitor offerings, active ground floor uses, civic destinations, daily amenities (grocery stores, shopping, and childcare), and make our neighborhood more attractive to employers looking to retain or add jobs.
I’ll provide more information in May, but mark your calendars for the summer kick-off Weekend, May 29th through June 1st. MyDenver Summer Kickoff Festival will celebrate summer and the opening of the 16th Street Mall from Union Station to Civic Center Park. Events include the IFSC World Cup Speed Climbing at Clocktower, Troutfest at Coors Field, and the Outside Fest at Civic Center Park. In addition to the kick-off weekend, there are over 90 events planned along the mall throughout the summer, including concerts, art installations, and festivals.
I’ll talk to you again in May!
Lisa L. Pope
UpDoNA President
Thumbnail attribution: Lisa Pope
