We’ve made it to fall filled with pumpkin patches, fall festivals, and PSLs. Don’t forget to make time to go leaf peeping. Denver has one of the longest periods of fall color than any other city in the country. Just a short distance from Denver you can find five different climate zones. For the best viewing in the month of October, plan to travel to 6,000-8,000 feet above sea level. If you’d prefer to stay close to Denver, check out the Cherry Creek Trail or the South Platte River Trail. Or, if you’d prefer to do something in our neighborhood, try BOOlesque at Clocktower Cabaret, 10/23-31, the Masquerade Ball at The Brown Palace, 10/31, or Disney in Concert at Boettcher Hall – The Nightmare Before Christmas, 10/29-31.
At-Large Candidate Forum at the Colorado Convention Center: Thanks to everyone who attended the Candidate forum on September 24th. The ten candidates were asked how they would address several issues impacting downtown: safety, crime, the recently passed Municipal Sentencing Bill and possible changes to it, unhoused suffering from untreated addiction and mental illness, permitting, zoning, and downtown investment.
If you didn’t attend, CBS Colorado will be airing portions of the Forum and will provide us with the link to the entire event. Please take time to acquaint yourself with the candidates and pay attention to the answers they provided. The candidate elected to the At-Large City Council seat will have a direct impact on downtown.
A big thank you to the amazing Colorado Convention Center staff! The space was beautiful and the service was top notch!
Alterra Comes to Upper Downtown: No doubt you’ve heard that Alterra Mountain Company, provider of the Ikon Pass, is taking over 65,000 square feet of the former Denver Post building now owned by the city. UpDoNA was invited to attend the press conference announcing the move.
Alterra signed a twelve-year lease and will bring approximately 400 employees to Upper Downtown who will work at least three days in the office. The ultimate plan is for Upper Downtown to become an Outdoor Recreation Hub. This will include outdoor activities at Civic Center Park and fun outdoor activations placed around Upper Downtown. Additional space in the building will be leased to outdoor recreational companies such as gear makers and suppliers. The old news ticker on the building will show snow totals. And rumor has it that there might be a wallscape showing a Colorado adventure scene wrapped on part of the building.
Tied to this is the gravel pit next to the RTD Bus Terminal across the street at Lincoln and Colfax. For a few years, UpDoNA has been asked to participate in charrettes to determine a good use for the property. Many ideas have been suggested, i.e., pump track, State Flags, pickle ball courts, park, and more. Now, Altera will be partnering with the City to plan the future of the gravel pit. Stay tuned!
Clean and Safe App NEW SERVICE: With the approach of fall and winter, the days become shorter. If you find yourself out enjoying downtown activities, dinner, or a meeting after dark and you’d like to have someone to escort you to your car or to your home, just use the Clean and Safe App. Select the Safety option and in the issue section, state that an escort is being requested. For best results, note the starting and ending locations, details of the person requesting the escort, and a contact number. A member of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Security Team will arrive. The escort services are available from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Please request the service 20+ minutes in advance. The contact number that you list on the app WILL NOT be given to the ground crew. Providing a number in the notes helps to make sure Downtown Denver Partnership locates the person needing the escort.
Newly Launched PR Campaign: Denver, The Best Return on Life: FINALLY, city leaders have put together a PR Campaign to promote Denver. While we still have work to do, City leaders feel Denver is not getting the recognition it deserves for the work already accomplished. For example, construction on 16th Street is completed, the DDDA has already invested millions of dollars in projects, and three Colorado sports teams plan to build entertainment districts near downtown.
The multimedia PR campaign will first be launched in the cities of Seattle and Portland and will promote Denver as a combination of economic opportunity and the quality of life brought by the outdoors, arts, culture, and sports teams within the city.
The Downtown Denver Partnership is also working with Richard Florida, one of the world’s leading urbanists. Mr. Florida will be analyzing our market trajectory and perception. The results of his analysis will be shared with the community at a Denver Business Journal event later this month. I will be attending the event, so I’ll report his findings in the November newsletter.
Quaking Gold Skynet Temporary Installation: Don’t forget to invite some friends, grab a coffee or take advantage of our Common Consumption Area and grab your favorite libation, and enjoy the last few days of the Quaking Gold Skynet installation on Glenarm Plaza. The installation will be removed when the weather starts taking a toll on the colorful ribbons.
Happy Halloween! I talk to you again in November.
Lisa L. Pope
President
Thumbnail attribution: Leo Marce
