Denver Mayor & City Council Meeting: 16th Street Mall Reopening & APWA Accreditation – May 20, 2025
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Denver Mayor & City Council Meeting – May 20, 2025
The Mayor and Denver City Council held their weekly session on May 20, 2025, to receive briefings on the upcoming 16th Street Mall reopening and the American Public Works Association (APWA) accreditation for the city’s utilities. The meeting began with introductions and community announcements.
Announcements
- Councilmember (District 10) congratulated the Colfax Marathon for a successful weekend with eight events and strong community involvement.
- A community meeting on preserving artifacts at the Blair-Caldwell History Library will be held Wednesday, May 21, from 4:30–6 p.m., hosted by Mayor Webb and Dr. Ross.
- Councilmembers Gonzalez and Parady will host a community conversation with the Office of Independent Monitor and Citizen Oversight Board to present 2024 annual reports on police and sheriff oversight, Wednesday, May 21, 6–8 p.m. at Zion Senior Center.
16th Street Mall Reopening Presentation
Courtney and Kate from the Downtown Denver Partnership presented the $175 million revitalization plans for the 16th Street Mall, which will reopen with a kickoff weekend May 31–June 1, 2025. Key points included:
- In 2024, the mall attracted 2.5 million visitors; it hosts 1.2 miles of free transit and accounts for 20% of downtown’s restaurant tax base.
- The revitalization strategy rests on five pillars: furniture/fixtures, retail experience, activation/programming, repositioning, and safety.
- New features: a glittering aspen art tree at Glenarm Plaza, a 30-foot climbing structure, and a 50-foot IFSC World Cup Speed Climbing wall.
- A retail entrepreneurship pathway includes 12 kiosks (9 vendors; 4 women-owned, 7 BIPOC-owned); 26 priority vacant spaces are targeted for new leases, with five signed. Art installations and demising grants aim to split large spaces for local businesses.
- The brand “16th Street, the Denver Way” will guide repositioning; summer programming includes Saturday markets, a Skyline Beer Garden, and rotating play installations.
- Councilmembers expressed strong support: Watson praised the Glenarm consumption area (calling it a “20-year idea”), Cashman reflected on challenges during COVID and construction, and Torres appreciated regular music and activation. Sawyer asked about splitting large retail spaces to incubate local businesses – presenters confirmed demising grants and efforts to shift landlords from national credit tenants.
APWA Accreditation Recognition
Amy Ford from the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) announced that the city’s solid waste and water utilities have received APWA accreditation – a recognition of excellence and efficiency after review of over 200 business practices. Denver is now the 11th accredited entity in Colorado and one of only 220 in North America. Three practices were deemed “best-in-class” for a first-time accreditee: community participation/engagement, safety recognition programs, and waste reduction education. The presentation recognized the unseen work of wastewater and solid waste teams. Councilmembers congratulated the teams.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the presentations were informational.
- The 16th Street Mall kickoff weekend is set for May 31–June 1, 2025; council members committed to promoting the event.
- Council indicated interest in further discussion on zoning reforms to reduce retail space sizes and encourage local businesses.
- The meeting adjourned with a closed session to follow.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to this meeting of the mayor and Denver City Council. At this weekly session, city agencies brief the mayor and council members on various proposals and projects across the city. This meeting of the mayor and city council members begins now. Hello everybody, welcome again. All of the laughing and having fun needs to cease so we can get to work. Thank you. Great to see you all. Thanks for being at Mayor Council. We are excited to start with some introductions, and we're looking forward to talking about uh sixteenth Street Mall reopening coming up in the weeks ahead. But first, we'll love the introductions. The fine gentleman to my right would like to start us off. Thank you very much, Mayor Paul Cashman, South County District. I thought I needed to change it up just for a new adjective. Totally fair. Amanda Sorry, District Five. Uh Sadena Gonzalez, one of the council members at large. I think you stole Watson's line. I'm taking it back right now. Good morning, Diana Romero, Campbell, Southeast Denver District Four. Jamie Torres, West Denver District Three. Great. Uh thank you all so much for being here. Um want to start with uh announcements. If any members have announcements they want to share for other members or the career, the listening public. I think I will go to the medaled council member for district ten. Uh well, Mr. Mayor, as I was cruising ten miles down Colfax through the beautiful Mile High Stadium in a perfect 10, coming up uh 17th Avenue and to City Park in the Fine District Nine. I kept looking for uh our distinguished mayor. I didn't see you anywhere on a far ahead. And so the announcement I want to share is uh congratulations to Copacs Marathon for an amazing weekend of uh two days and I think eight runs, eight different types of uh running events uh throughout the city. It's a great opportunity to demonstrate um how Denver puts health of our communities forward at first. And at Copacks Marathon, um, each of the nonprofits that receive so many dollars. Um, it's just a great day for family and fun, great sunshine. So that was an excellent day. So I just want to say thank you. And I saw a lot of folks from your team, Mr. Mayor, are running the relay. So congratulations to the city employees that ran on Sunday as well. I have one quick announcement on Wednesday, May 21st from 4 30 to 6 p.m. at the Blair Calwell Historic History Um Library and Museum. Um, we're having a community meeting to discuss kind of the um the keeping of the artifacts at the Blair Caldwell Library. It's gonna be hosted by Mayor Webb and Dr. Ross. It's important for folks to come out to share your thoughts as to what ways we can support Denver Public Library in maintaining the archives of the Black History Museum that's on that third floor. So once again, May 21st, um 4 30 to 6 p.m. at the Blair Caldwell Library 24th and Walton. Excellent. Thank you so much, Councilman. Congrats on your fantastic race. Councilman Gonzalez Terris.
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