{"id":832,"date":"2025-07-30T21:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/?p=832"},"modified":"2025-07-31T14:25:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:25:22","slug":"denvers-first-100-million-in-downtown-grants-unveiled-for-housing-business-projects-and-civic-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/30\/denvers-first-100-million-in-downtown-grants-unveiled-for-housing-business-projects-and-civic-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver\u2019s first $100 million in downtown grants unveiled for housing, business projects \u2014 and Civic Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ten projects in downtown Denver \u2014 ranging from office-to-housing conversions to business concepts \u2014 are set to get cash infusions as city leaders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/05\/29\/downtown-denver-economic-revitalization\/\">seek to bring foot traffic back to a struggling but vital part of the urban core<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The roughly $100 million in awards announced Wednesday would come from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denvergov.org\/Government\/Citywide-Programs-and-Initiatives\/Downtown-Development-Authority\">the Downtown Development Authority<\/a>, a voter-approved special taxing district that allows the city to use a portion of tax revenue generated downtown for projects in the area. The grants are the first ones announced that will make use of hundreds of millions of dollars under the expanded DDA.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals still must win approval from the City Council.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur priority is to help bring projects to life that will bring thousands of people back to downtown \u2014 and will create new energy and new excitement for the people who live, work and play in Denver,\u201d said Doug Tisdale, the chair of the DDA board, during a late-morning news conference in the McNichols Building in Civic Center park.<\/p>\n<p>The projects selected will support new housing, updates to downtown parks and more attainable retail space for local businesses.<\/p>\n<p>The authority\u2019s biggest cash infusion is set to be $30 million to \u201cactivate\u201d Civic Center park. That would mean new infrastructure, lighting, garden walkways and trees to improve the park as an amenity and make it more accessible, according to a news release from the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>Other projects selected include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>$23 million for the DDA to purchase two parking lots on both sides of Glenarm Place at 15th Street, next to the <a href=\"https:\/\/denverpavilions.com\/\">Denver Pavilions<\/a>. The lots will serve as short-term parking with revenue going back to the DDA, and the property could be redeveloped in the future.<\/li>\n<li>$31.5 million allotted to help finance two office-to-residential conversions in the Symes Building and the University Building, which are across Champa Street from each other on the 16th Street mall. Those conversions would produce 236 units combined, much of it restricted to residents who meet income limits.<\/li>\n<li>$7 million for the McNichols Building, where officials plan to renovate the ground floor and add an arts market and a restaurant with an outdoor patio.<\/li>\n<li>$5 million for improvements at Skyline Park, including accessibility, lighting, safety features and a new performance stage.<\/li>\n<li>$2.7 million to support Green Spaces Market, which offers more affordable retail options for local businesses, nonprofits and artists.<\/li>\n<li>Awards under $1 million each for the Denver Immersive Repertory Theater, Milk Tea People and Sundae Artisan Ice Cream.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The spending is intended to be more than just an effort to make Denverites pleased with their downtown, though. It\u2019s a key element of the city\u2019s plan to recover from its financial crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Downtown activity, which once made up a significant portion of the city\u2019s sales tax revenue, hasn\u2019t recovered fully from the COVID-19 pandemic. As Denver <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/09\/denver-city-budget-crisis-mike-johnston-economy\/\">stares down a $250 million budget shortfall<\/a> over the next two years, officials are hoping to revitalize the budget books.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe think it\u2019s important not to stand still in these moments,\u201d Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7232049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Mayor Mike Johnston holds a poster board noting new projects during a news conference at the McNichols Civic Center Building in Denver on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"6092\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"7232049\" data-srcset=\"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TDP-L-DEN-DEV-AUTHORITY-PRESSER_JAC4131.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Denver Mayor Mike Johnston holds a poster board noting new projects during a news conference at the McNichols Civic Center Building in Denver on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"related right\">\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"\" data-relation-type=\"automatic-primary-tag\">Related Articles<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/30\/denver-city-layoffs-budget-cuts\/\" title=\"Denver Mayor Mike Johnston sets starting date for layoffs of city workers next month\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tDenver Mayor Mike Johnston sets starting date for layoffs of city workers next month\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/29\/denver-permits-concepts-development\/\" title=\"Denver says \u2018one-and-done\u2019 policy for concept plans could save developers time\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tDenver says \u2018one-and-done\u2019 policy for concept plans could save developers time\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/29\/denver-bond-package-city-council-amendments\/\" title=\"Denver\u2019s $950 million bond projects list \u2014 with small changes \u2014 passes first City Council test vote\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tDenver\u2019s $950 million bond projects list \u2014 with small changes \u2014 passes first City Council test vote\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/28\/denver-police-accountability-changes-discipline-misconduct\/\" title=\"Denver deserves better than a backroom deal that eases police accountability (Opinion)\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tDenver deserves better than a backroom deal that eases police accountability (Opinion)\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/26\/broncos-president-stadium-decision\/\" title=\"Broncos haven\u2019t made decision on stadium or even a preferred site, president Damani Leech says\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tBroncos haven\u2019t made decision on stadium or even a preferred site, president Damani Leech says\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>He said a primary part of the vision is to convert downtown from a business district into more of a neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the projects selected should be underway within the next 12 months, said Bill Mosher, the chief projects officer for Johnston.<\/p>\n<p>In April, the authority announced it would spend $3.6 million to increase foot patrols to improve public safety downtown. The DDA still has about $475 million to dole out and more than 100 applications in the pipeline, Tisdale said.<\/p>\n<p>Downtown-area voters last fall approved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/07\/30\/downtown-denver-revitalization-grant-money-civic-center\/\">an expansion of the authority<\/a> and authorization for it to take on up to $570 million in new debt to aid revitalization efforts across downtown. The DDA was originally formed in 2008 to help pay off debt taken out for infrastructure projects as part of the overhaul of Union Station.<\/p>\n<p>The council will begin considering the first batch of proposed projects in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.denverpost.com\/dp\/preference\">Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ten projects in downtown Denver \u2014 ranging from office-to-housing conversions to business concepts \u2014 are set to get cash infusions as city leaders seek to bring foot traffic back to a struggling but vital part of the urban core. The roughly $100 million in awards announced Wednesday would come from the Downtown Development Authority, a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=832"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":835,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832\/revisions\/835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}