Michael Hancock

Photos: Five benefits of Denver Airport City development for Adams County

On May 1, Adams County commissioners and other elected leaders gave Mayor Michael Hancock a week to provide a list of "tangible benefits" they would realize from Denver's plans to push forward with development around Denver International Airport. Hancock responded with a letter saying their demand h ... More >>

Wayne McDonald firing: Lawsuit against Mayor Michael Hancock rejected

A federal lawsuit against Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and other city officials, filed by one of Hizzoner's former best buds and top advisors, has been dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge John Kane -- just when filings in the case were getting interesting. Ex-aide Wayne McDonald's complaint of w ... More >>

Marijuana clubs: Mayor's call for a ban blatantly unconstitutional, advocate says

This week, Mayor Michael Hancock appeared before a Denver City Council subcommittee to talk marijuana. And during his time in the spotlight (see a video of his chat below), he made it clear that if he had his way, pot would be tightly regulated and clubs for those who want to consume it would be ban ... More >>

Cycling advocates plan Valentine's Day love-in to support protected bike lanes

There's been debate aplenty in the cycling community about a plan for a new proposed bike lane for 15th Street. Now, a Valentine's Day special: The advocacy organization BikeDenver is staging a "love-in" this morning, all to let Mayor Michael Hancock and other local officials know about the widespre ... More >>

GIFs: Mayor Michael Hancock does Ray Lewis dance to make good on Baltimore bet

Mayor Michael Hancock delayed paying off a wager with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake because of an injury. The terms? If the Broncos lost to the Ravens (which they did), Hancock would send a box of steaks to Maryland aaaand do the Ray Lewis dance. Well, the mayor is healed and has made goo ... More >>

A Civil Discussion

Michael Hancock bet-losing Ray Lewis dance delayed due to injury?

Before Saturday's Broncos-Ravens playoff game, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock made a friendly wager with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. If Denver won, Rawlings-Blake promised to send a platter of broiled crab cakes. If Baltimore won, Hancock agreed to mail a box of dry-aged "cowboy cut" rib ... More >>

Get Ready to Ride

Hentzell Park: Mayor Hancock forges ahead with open space land swap

Despite an emphatic recommendation against the move by her advisory board, Denver Parks and Recreation manager Lauri Dannemiller has okayed Mayor Michael Hancock's plan to swap open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building downtown. The decision sets up a showdown between the admini ... More >>

Hentzell Park: Board rejects Mayor Michael Hancock's plan to trade open space for building

Despite a personal appeal from hizzoner himself, the Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board gave a thumbs-down last night to a controversial plan by Mayor Michael Hancock's administration to swap a parcel of open space in the Cherry Creek corridor for an office building. Amid much soul-searching ... More >>

Looking good! Mayor's Design Awards honor six eating/drinking spots

Restaurants aren't just changing the way Denver eats; they're changing the way this city looks. Last night Mayor Michael Hancock announced the winners of the annual Mayor's Design Awards -- twelve projects cited for excellence in architecture, design and place-creating. "Every great city has excit ... More >>

Marijuana: Michael Hancock rips Amendment 64, campaign responds (update)

Update: The Amendment 64 campaign has replied to Mayor Michael Hancock's comments below. The response is on page three, following the original post. In the intensifying endorsement war around Amendment 64, Colorado's Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol act, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has come out in ... More >>

Denver Diner case: Mayor Michael Hancock says reforms needed at Civil Service Commission

Asked about the Denver Civil Service Commission's reinstatement of two police officers fired for a billy-clubbing and macing incident at the Denver Diner, Mayor Michael Hancock says it's time to re-evaluate the commission's disciplinary hearings process. His comments only add to pressure on the comm ... More >>

Reader: New York Times' snarky comments about 16th Street Mall on the money

Our Patricia Calhoun didn't think much of the New York Times' take on the 16th Street Mall's thirtieth birthday, marked by an event featuring an appearance by Mayor Michael Hancock, seen here. However, another local endorsed the less-than-laudatory Times review.

16th Street Mall's 30th birthday not exactly celebrated by the New York Times

Every party has a pooper, and in the case of the 16th Street Mall's thirtieth anniversary party, that would be the New York Times, which published an article on Tuesday's celebration -- both online and in print -- that some boosters think made the event look a lot like Mayberry, BFD.

Photos: The 16th Street Mall celebrates its thirtieth birthday

Although the 16th Street Mall officially turned the big 3-0 on Thursday, today was the big party. In Skyline Park, Mayor Michael Hancock presented a proclamation that recognizes the anniversary, RTD and Downtown Denver Partnership. Hancock congratulated both organizations on "all that you have meant ... More >>

Will the real Michael Hancock please stand up?

Michael Hancock's cabinet heads east -- to Walmart (and Walmartyr) country

When Mayor Michael Hancock hosted his second "Cabinet in the Community" last month in northwest Denver, the officials on hand outnumbered the number of people in the audience. But that's not likely to be the case tomorrow, when Hancock takes his show on the road to east Denver -- where he'll be gree ... More >>

Michael Hancock has called and texted man planning to sue city, attorney says

After his friend and aide was accused of sexual harassment, Mayor Michael Hancock sacked him without launching an investigation into the allegations. That's the main argument of Wayne McDonald, who plans to sue the city months after being ousted. But those aren't the only accusations made by McDonal ... More >>

Michael Hancock: I care about family of Wayne McDonald, ex-employee suing Denver

In June, Mayor Michael Hancock fired his aide and close friend Wayne McDonald amid "serious allegations of misconduct" -- which became a major distraction at a press conference on the city's structural budget gap. Now, McDonald intends to sue the city and has filed a complaint with the city's Board ... More >>

Mayor Hancock is back in the tap room -- this time for Prost Brewing's Oktoberfest

Mayor Michael Hancock: beer geek. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration. Still, Hizzoner will make his second appearance at a Denver craft brewery in as many weeks when he kicks off Prost Brewing's three-day Oktoberfest celebration this Friday and taps the first keg of the brewery's new Märzen ... More >>

Walmart opponents ask Colorado Boulevard Healthcare District for a place at the podium

While the area around the new University of Colorado Health Sciences Center is booming, the buildings CU left behind a decade ago stand abandoned, and the property is now on its third developer. The city is ready for something, anything, to go there. Well, maybe not anything, say the Walmartyrs.

Sniagrab camping should not be compared to homelessness, says Mayor Michael Hancock

Denver allows camping for shoppers but not for homeless people with nowhere to go. At least that was last week's message from Occupy Denver during protests about allowing Sports Authority shoppers to camp out for bargains months after the city began enforcing its urban camping ban, which prohibits t ... More >>

Michael Hancock takes cabinet to community for a preview of tonight's de-Brucing briefing

Mayor Michael Hancock held his second "Cabinet in the Community" town-hall meeting Saturday morning at the transformed Rude Recreation Center in west Denver -- a physical manifestation of his campaign promise to "reconnect people to their government." Even if there were more government representativ ... More >>

Michael Hancock: Aurora shootings shouldn't be used to push gun control

Since James Holmes purchased an AR-15 assault rifle and shot twelve people dead in an Aurora movie theater, we've asked different local officials if they think stricter gun control laws could help prevent this kind of tragedy in the future. Recently, Denver mayor Michael Hancock told us that he woul ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Michael Hancock declines to speak out on gun control

Days after accused gunman James Holmes fired shots at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, there have been heated discussions about gun control, along with debates on whether it is an appropriate time to tackle the subject. We gave Denver Mayor Michael Hancock an opportunity to wei ... More >>

Michael Hancock picks the right setting for today's State of the City speech

Mayor Michael Hancock will deliver his State of the City address at 10 a.m. today, a year after he took office. The setting for the speech, City Park, was chosen over a month ago, but it symbolizes two of the major (and overlapping) challenges he'll face over the next three years:

Michael Hancock's State of the City speech: Police reform and e-Denver

A year after taking office, Mayor Michael Hancock delivered his first State of the City address this morning, promoting a range of priorities, including restructuring the police department, increasing programs for children and a new online initiative he is calling "e-Denver." That's right, Denver is ... More >>

Reader: Michael Hancock's spinning on gang violence inspires buyer's remorse

Last week, in a post by Sam Levin, Mayor Michael Hancock described as a distraction speculation that Denver police officer Celena Hollis's suspected murderer was a gang member. That's the sort of assertion guaranteed to spur conversation. Here's the response of a reader left dizzy by Hancock's appr ... More >>

Celena Hollis murder: Michael Hancock says gang speculation a distraction

Since Denver cop Celena Hollis was shot and killed over the weekend, there has been a lot of speculation concerning the possible gang-affiliation of the suspect -- but according to Mayor Michael Hancock, reporters are asking the wrong questions. In this case, the gang question, Hancock told Westword ... More >>

Photos: Grand opening of East 13th Avenue and Xenia Street park and gardens

Around a beautiful garden, playground equipment and a turf soccer field -- and under the shade provided by a large cottonwood tree -- members of the diverse East Colfax community joined together in a grand opening celebration for a new city park on East 13th Avenue and Xenia Street this past weekend ... More >>

Wayne McDonald firing: Michael Hancock says sacking friend tough but in city's best interest

Unsurprisingly, reporters at Michael Hancock's press conference this morning were more interested in the news that the mayor fired a close friend and aide, Wayne McDonald, than the stated topic of the event (his plan to solve the city's structural budget gap). "We had received an accusation which ... More >>

Michael Hancock has a new communications director in time for one-year anniversary

Happy anniversary, Mayor Hancock. A year ago, Michael Hancock defeated Chris Romer in the Denver mayoral runoff, capping an unlikely campaign that saw Hancock polling at just 10 percent two months before the May 3 election, then trouncing Romer in the runoff. But where were the big stories taking no ... More >>

Indepedent monitor: Search for Richard Rosenthal's successor drags on

The search is (still) on for Denver's second-ever independent monitor. After Richard Rosenthal accepted a similar position in British Columbia late last year, Mayor Michael Hancock's office convened a committee to search for his successor. By April, it had whittled the results down to three names: E ... More >>

Michael Hancock takes on the "Chris Brown and Rihanna situation" at violence awareness rally

At the first-ever Teen Dating Violence Awareness Rally today, Mayor Michael Hancock took the mike and told a story about what he called "the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation." One day, his teenage daughter and her friends were watching the former on television and, in Hancock's words, going "goo-go ... More >>

Michael Hancock issues the Better Buildings Denver energy challenge

Mayor Michael Hancock is challenging Denver's building owners to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent by the year 2020. Yesterday, Hancock and representatives from several local agencies announced "Better Buildings Denver," a program that aligns with President Barack Obama's national "Better Bui ... More >>

Photo contest: Michael Hancock wants you to show your love for recycling

Calling all Denver recyclers: Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Public Works' Denver Recycles are asking you to show some Valentine's Day love and support for a more eco-friendly city. They've announced a photo contest with a chance to win tickets to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Michael Flatley's ... More >>

Michael Hancock's economic development plan: Small biz development, big biz retention

Today, Mayor Michael Hancock unveiled a new economic development strategy -- the NASCAR-y sounding "JumpStart 2012: Revving Up Denver's Economic Engine." It includes a host of specific initiatives in seven broad areas, including a plan to develop a $20 million "pot of money," in Hancock's words, to ... More >>

Photo: Michael Hancock campaign HQ turns into "Coming Cock"

As Patricia Calhoun has reported, Michael Hancock's old campaign headquarters, at 1100 Bannock Street, may be the luckiest political address in Denver, since it's been associated with past victories by Ken Salazar, Bill Ritter, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet in addition to Hizzoner. Now, as seen in t ... More >>

Reader: Occupy Denver's election of Shelby the dog as leader marked day I stopped caring

Kelsey Whipple's post in which Mayor Michael Hancock shared his view that the public no longer cares about Occupy Denver attracted numerous comments from supporters disputing his conclusion. But there was also this take from someone very much on Hancock's wavelength.

Occupy Denver: Mayor Michael Hancock says public doesn't care anymore

Yesterday afternoon, RedLine art gallery housed hundreds of Occupy movement supporters from Colorado and beyond as they reflected on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and how to translate it to protesting inequality between the 99 percent and the 1 percent. But in recent weeks, the local movement ... More >>

Tebowing photo stars (pained looking) Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

​Moments ago on his Facebook page, Mayor Michael Hancock posted a photo of Luke Ravenstahl, his Pittsburgh counterpart, Tebowing in a number fifteen Denver jersey. Hancock compliments Ravenstahl on "being a good sport and showing some Bronco love after a hard fought game on both sides" -- but ... More >>

Colorado Black Caucus launches with reception tonight

Michael Hancock.​Wilma Webb was one of the first African-American representatives in the Colorado legislature -- and she pushed through a measure making Martin Luther King Day a state holiday in 1984, two years before it was recognized nationally. In 1991, her husband, Wellington Webb, became ... More >>

The luckiest political campaign office in Colorado is becoming a fitness center

​Campaigners are getting serious about the next election, but would-be candidates missed a golden opportunity in the Golden Triangle when they failed to lease the space at 1100 Bannock Street most recently occupied by the Michael Hancock campaign.

Occupy Denver: Homeless protesters interrupt Mayor Hancock during homeless vigil

By now, it's public knowledge that about 30 Occupy Denver supporters interrupted Mayor Michael Hancock's speech during a vigil for the homeless last night on the steps of the City & County Building. This is true. Little, however, has been shared about the decision-making process behind last night's ... More >>

City on Occupy Denver: "If a structure goes up today, it comes down today"

Mayor Hancock.Last night's Occupy Denver eviction is unlikely to be the last one in the near future. In a statement on the subject, Mayor Michael Hancock supported the city's actions and cited the now commonly repeated concerns of public safety and access. Accompanied by new Police Chief Robert Whit ... More >>

Mayor Michael Hancock's Denver bucket list for 2012

​Denver has been threatened with doom many times -- when the transcontinental railroad threatened to skip the infant city, when numerous booms went bust, when the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons plant caught fire. Although the homegrown PeaceJam has debunked the latest doomsday scenario -- that th ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Why did city not cite conference call about occupiers in open records request?

Michael Hancock.​Update: Westword recently received a copy of Kilmer, Lane & Newman's updated CORA request from investigator Christopher Dodd. The document is blunt: In it, Dodd references the existence of an Occupy movement-related U.S. Conference of Mayors conference call involving Mayor Mic ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Mayor Michael Hancock talks about denied injunction and police frustrations

Michael Hancock.​Following the announcement that Judge Robert Blackburn denied Occupy Denver's request for a temporary restraining order against the City and County of Denver, Mayor Michael Hancock spoke -- briefly -- about the decision's implications for the city. His take on the matter: Thos ... More >>

Denver Zoo's new elephant exhibit renamed Toyota Elephant Passage after $5.4 mil donation

​ Update, 4:15 p.m.: The zoo has announced how much money the seven local Toyota dealerships donated to the newly christened Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit, slated to open in June 2012. The figure? $5.4 million, the zoo's second-largest donation ever. Read on for more details.