Today, Mayor Mike Johnston unveiled a bold plan to inject over $500 million into Downtown Denver over the next decade, aiming to restore vibrancy and economic growth. Downtown Denver has been slow to recover since the pandemic, experiencing lower foot traffic, closing businesses, and an office vacancy rate of over 30% at the end of 2023. Additional factors, including slow residential development in the core, 16th Street Mall, and Larimer Square construction, have hampered activation around Central Downtown, and it is the right time for a boost.
Central to the plan is the expansion of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which will enable the city to fund a broader range of downtown economic development projects. Through community engagement and collaboration, Mayor Johnston plans to craft a shared vision for downtown’s future, culminating in a formal Plan of Development for City Council approval. Funding for the expanded DDA will be available in 2025 at the earliest.
Below is the map of the proposed expanded investment area, which covers Lower, Central, and Upper Downtown, with a slice of Uptown. Furthermore, here is the city’s press release.
We want to hear from you! What kind of improvements would you like to see in Downtown Denver, particularly in this expanded investment area? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Exciting! I’d like to see the large parking lots in uptown and the CBD transformed into mixed use developments. There’s still plenty of space for infill, especially in Uptown!
The 15th and Champa area is kind of rough looking. Maybe scrape what used to be Woolworths (don’t scrape bldg at 16th and Champa though). Replace with either office or condos. Adding trees along Champa between 14th and 16th would go a long way toward beautifying the general convention center and DPAC areas.
I would like to see a more active interim use for some of the parking lots. Things like semi permanent food truck parks, temporary stages for bands, summer beer gardens… Use these empty parking lots to create activity. I think a DDA can participate in these types of things, but would leave it to greater minds. Also, trees and better sidewalks along streets adjacent to the parking lots. I do agree with Zach, in the long run, good mixed use development.