Economic Development

Gaylord in Aurora: New developer found to build 1,500-room, $800 million hotel

A new developer will take over the stalled Gaylord hotel project in Aurora, which won an estimated $81.4 million tax rebate from the state last year before hospitality giant Gaylord Entertainment announced it was restructuring -- and that building the 1,500-room hotel and conference center here wasn ... More >>

Margaret Hunt to head Colorado Creative Industries

Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade that replaced the Colorado Council of the Arts, has a new executive director, Margaret Hunt, who will be responsible for developing a statewide, shared vision for Colorado's creative indus ... More >>

Michael Hancock taps Rocky Piro as his planning director: Let's see what develops

Mayor Michael Hancock's cabinet is finally complete. Late last week, he announced that he had hired a planning director to fill the slot that Peter Park left in mid-2011: Rocky Piro, a native of Denver who's been working in Washington State. And one of the first things Piro should plan to do is sit ... More >>

What has the National Renewable Energy Lab done for the public good?

See also: Top fifteen inventions and innovations of the National Renewable Energy Lab

Denver City Council approves Welton Corridor plan, sparking fears of eminent domain

After a lengthy public hearing where dozens of property owners and merchants in the Five Points area weighed in on the future of the historic neighborhood, the Denver City Council voted to approve a controversial redevelopment plan that deems the area "blighted." Supporters argue that the plan will ... More >>

Welton Corridor plan before Denver City Council: An opening for eminent domain?

Tonight, Denver City Council will vote on a plan to redevelop the Welton Corridor -- and some property owners in the area fear that if it passes, it will allow the city to seize their homes and businesses. But the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, the entity behind the proposal, argues that those conc ... More >>

Aurora officials remain optimistic about prospects, despite GE solar plant delay

Things were looking up for Aurora, Colorado.That's how it seemed earlier this year when we wrote about the suburb's new tourism organization, Visit Aurora. Why? Aurora looked sure to land the state tourism incentives it needed to entice Gaylord Entertainment to build a giant hotel there; the city wa ... More >>

Denver's 80205 makes national list of areas rapidly getting whiter

Today, we have for you a piece of news that you probably already knew just by looking around you: Parts of Denver are rapidly getting whiter! So much so that Denver's 80205 zip code managed to make it onto a list of the fastest-gentrifying neighborhoods in the country. Hooray!

Gaylord hotel project: Meet the locals in love with it (and one guy against it)

Frank Gray is president of the Castle Rock Economic Development Council in Douglas County. Yet at a public hearing yesterday on six projects vying for big-bucks state tourism incentives, Gray eschewed his county's own project and, like many of the 23 people who testified, spoke in favor of Gaylord E ... More >>

RedPeak: City council's Susan Shepherd won't fight controversial West Highland development

Denver City Councilwoman Susan Shepherd will not take any action to stop a proposed development just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard that has neighbors fighting mad. Although she had hinted that she might try to change the zoning on the property, she released a letter late last week stati ... More >>

Sunflower Market on Colfax inspires a food fight at Denver City Council

​Unlike so many Western towns, Denver has a wealth of wonderful neighborhoods close to the heart of the city. But with that wealth of neighborhoods comes a surfeit of NIMBY issues that often spill out of their immediate area and into City Hall -- as the fight over a new supermarket on Colfax w ... More >>

"Start-Up Colorado:" House Democrats announce job creation package

Colorado House Democrats and representatives from CU, CSU and Colorado Technology Association met with the press to introduce "Start-Up Colorado." The package brings together three jobs bills focusing on promoting small business growth.

Susan Shepherd hints at her next step in battle over proposed development in West Highland

No High Rises in West Highland​Neighbors surrounding the proposed site of three, five-story apartment towers just north of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard have made their opposition to the project clear. RedPeak Properties, the developer planning to build the structures, and Tom Wootten, the ... More >>

Stapleton Brussels sprout is the new urbanist's dream vegetable: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ By arranging compact cabbages in spiral clusters around a thick stalk in an effort to realize maximum nutritional values with minimal land use, the Stapleton Brussels sprout has quickly become the profit-driven urban planner's dream vegetable...

John Hickenlooper off to a fast start with three executive orders

HIckenlooper.​The inauguration ceremony was cold, but Governor John Hickenlooper is off to a blazing start. Hickenlooper issued three executive orders in the first few minutes of officially holding office, taking aim at economic development and improving the efficiency of state government.

Mexican Macro-economics

Betsy Long: Alleged wrong-way drunk driver is green-biz entrepreneur

Betsy Long.​Elizabeth "Betsy" Long is accused of drunkenly driving the wrong way on I-25 and causing a crash that killed Mary Warren, a young CSU grad bound for the Peace Corps. It's a far cry from the portrait of Long presented by GreenEdgeDenver.com, a site designed to promote environmental ... More >>

Andrew Romanoff gets boost from White House job controversy

"It's nice to feel wanted."​In recent weeks, senatorial hopeful Andrew Romanoff has been under increasing pressure to talk about alleged job offers from the White House if he wouldn't challenge Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet in November, especially in light of similar claims made by Penns ... More >>

Laurie Brandt as suburban superhero Westminster Windskipper: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

​ Westminster Windskipper Real Name: Laurie Brandt Occupation: Renaissance Woman Suburb of Operations: Westminster Hair: Windblown Eyes: Wide Open Suburban superhero skills: Shortly after inadvertently swallowing a small insect while touring Westminster's Butterfly Pavilion, Laurie Brandt wa ... More >>

Columnist chronicles Denver's New Urbanism conference on the Huffington Post

Photo by Jonathan ShikesThe new-urbanist enclave of Highlands' Garden Village. Last week, the Congress for the New Urbanism held its annual conference in Denver -- an event we commemorated with examinations of Bradburn Village, Highlands' Garden Village and several other New Urbanist developments i ... More >>

Coors Field again asking for a law to preserve its mountain view -- and maybe get some more parking lots too

Denver Planning DepartmentThe angle city officials are using to determine the proposed Coors Field view plane. The entity that owns Coors Field is pursuing a view-plane ordinance that would prevent the construction of buildings that might block the view of the mountains from stadium seats -- and no ... More >>

Why did Coors Field buy the old Light Bulb Supply building?

2010 Delgany, once a potential view-blocker, was recently bought by Coors Field Rockies fans will no longer have to worry about their view of the mountains from Coors Field becoming obstructed by a possible high-rise condo building. The special district that owns the baseball stadium quietly purcha ... More >>

Tom "The Troubleshooter" Martino's troublesome buildings are still standing

West Wash Park rezoning fight gains steam

In October, we introduced you to  the battle over monster duplexes and neighborhood character in West Washington Park. Now, as a December 15 City Council hearing approaches, the controversy is exploding into a debate over the future of development in Denver's older neighborhoods. Some residen ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: The week ahead, November 24-30

It's the economy, stupid. While chairmen of the Big Three auto-makers jetted by private plane to Washington, D.C., looking for a handout last week, hundreds of out-of-work Coloradans lined up before each prospective employer at job fairs across the state last Thursday. And on Saturday, 40,000 peopl ... More >>

From Tosh's Hacienda to Kiva to Club Dynasty

In West Washington Park, a battle over monster duplexes and neighborhood character

Upcoming DNC roundtable: lotsa ugly politicians and a smokin' hot celeb

Upcoming DNC roundtable: lotsa ugly politicians and a smokin' hot celeb

Hideous Houses of Highland

More is not merrier for Highland homeowners who want to stop construction in their neighborhoods.

Bamako

This “festival film” puts globalization on trial.

Shoot to Chill

Beyond and Spy are outta here with a bullet.

Creative Thinking

Denver gets down to business about the arts.

Building for the Future

Peter Park is in the urban-planning game for good.

The Apes of Wrath

It takes a village to raze a Chinese restaurant.

Letters to the Editor

From the week of July 18, 2002

You Can't Go Home Again

Especially when someone has leveled your childhood home to make room for two more.

A Tough Read

The City Park West Gazette chooses its battles -- lots of them.

How to Build a Ghetto

Everyone said they wanted homeless people to be invisible at Lowry. So why aren't they?

Don't Be Dense

A Denver neighborhood fights city hall and wins -- for now.

Playtime Is Over

Parents in northwest Denver finally got their school -- or did they?

A Rough Road Ends in Jeffco

A proposed quarry gets bulldozed by irate residents.

Big Boss Man

Jim Hannifin commands a ready-made urban army—and he keeps winning his battles.

Hell, No, We Won't Grow!

A new bill proposes leaving rural areas openand developed areas denser than your average pro-growth legislator.

Another Fight on Colfax

Plans to spruce up the old street lead to a business squabble.

Neighborhood Botch

Squabbles over money plague one of Denver's Oldest neighborhoods.

Bridges to Nowhere

Emblems of a bulldozing era, downtown's skybridges become a sore point.

FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT

THE CITY IS UP TO ITS NECK IN THE OLD ELITCH'S--AND NOW IT'S CLAMMING UP.QUEASY RIDERS THE BATTLE OVER THE OLD ELITCH'S THROWS A CITY COUNCILMAN--AND HIS CONSTITUENTS--FOR A LOOP.

UNECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

DID A SQUABBLE WITH COLORADO SPRINGS COST FORT COLLINS $300 MILLION?

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

THE CITY OF DENVER HAS SUNK MORE THAN $2 MILLION INTO THE HISTORIC ROSSONIAN HOTEL. BUT CHECK OUT ITS ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT PLAN.