Residents want more events, safety and housing as part of downtown Denver plan
Amidst the holiday lights and Christmas cheer, is a downtown Denver that residents say still has a way to go to draw more crowds all year round.
"[We] really want to support local business," said resident Carmen Leiboock, who attended the city's annual Christkindl market. "I know they're really trying to revitalize downtown ever since COVID and we want to make sure to support that and that people are showing up for activities in the city."
While the Christkindl market is expected to draw in roughly 300,000 visitors to the downtown area this winter, it's folks with the Downtown Denver Partnership who are looking at other ways to keep the vibrancy of the downtown area alive.
"We've opened 40 new shops just within the last year, so a lot of new things to come and discover in the heart of downtown," said Kourtny Garrett, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Garrett attests one big activation that's already drawing in foot traffic is the partial completion of the 16th Street Mall, with plans to complete the full street by summer 2025.
"We are also infusing a tremendous amount of energy into recruiting new businesses to come in and reinvigorate the mall-like experience or the retail experience," she said.
Yet, it's one piece of a bigger plan the partnership's consulting firm, Sasaki, is working to finalize over the next few months through community input as to what things residents want to see in five key downtown areas: Upper downtown, Skyline Park, Arapahoe Square, Ballpark and the Cherry Creek corridor.
"We're really asking people to give us their specific input," said Joshua Brooks, Denver principal and landscape architect at Sasaki. "[Where there are] real pockets of lacks of investment, whether that's surface parking or office vacancy, the real disconnect between the highest density residential areas and the amenities that those residents need."
On Wednesday, the firm led an open house at the Denver Public Library, where residents and visitors could share what they want to see in the downtown area, whether it's interest in more free events downtown, or food and retail options.
For downtown residents like Gil Vondrasek, its housing affordability, access to transportation, and tackling homelessness that are some of the key issues that are preventing the downtown area from growing despite any potential investments in activations.
"Safe, clean, basic issues," said Vondrasek. "People are still fearful of downtown. So, some basics have to change for all of this to be the great city we want it to be."
Residents still have the opportunity to share what they want to see in the downtown Denver area by Dec. 24 at this website: https://denverdowntownareaplan.com/.
