Work Begins on Dakota Outfall Project, Stage 1 of Broadway Marketplace Transformation
South Denver's very own Broadway Marketplace is beginning a major transformation. On August 17th, RTD closed the northern portion of the Alameda Station Park-n-Ride parking lot to accommodate the Dakota Outfall Project - a massive storm water pipe currently under construction that will run underneath W. Dakota Avenue, Broadway and Virginia Avenue. Not only will this storm water pipe project address long-standing drainage and flooding issues in Broadway Marketplace and West Wash Park, it will also involve construction of a future road to connect Broadway and the neighborhood directly to Alameda Station via W. Dakota Avenue. This will improve visibility and bike/pedestrian access to the station. Construction of the Dakota Outfall will be completed by July 2014, and you can learn more about this project by visiting the BMP Metro District's website here. More information about RTD's northern parking lot closure and alternative parking can be found here.
While the Dakota Outfall Project is Phase 1 of the Broadway Marketplace transformation, Phase 2 is right on its heels with the construction of a brand new, 275-unit multi-family transit-oriented development project. The project, led by D4 Urban LLC, will sit right on top of the former northern RTD parking lot - giving residents the unique opportunity to live directly at the Alameda Station Light Rail stop. The project will also include construction of a new light rail plaza, bus stop facilities, and a corner retail store, as well as enhancements to Cherokee Street to improve station connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians. Construction of the apartment project is anticipated to start in December of this year, with construction finishing in early 2015.
Both the Outfall Project and the apartments kick off the first phase of implementation of the Denver Design District General Development Plan, which will guide transformation of the area into one of Denver's premier transit-oriented, bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. The project is also a significant component of the Alameda Station Area Plan, which identified more diverse housing options, as well as more bicycle and pedestrian connections, as critical elements to create a community where residents can live, work and play all in one neighborhood. For more information on the Denver Design District General Plan, as well as the Alameda Station Area Plan, click here. |
Evans Station Lofts Opens in Overland Neighborhood
On August 27th, Councilman Chris Nevitt joined Overland residents, the Urban Land Conservancy, and Medici Communities to celebrate the grand opening of Evans Station Lofts - a brand new transit-oriented, mixed-use, affordable housing community right next to the Evans Station light rail stop. The 5-story building breaks all stereotypes of standard affordable housing by featuring 50 affordable residential units with 10 foot ceilings, glass tile accents, a community room with laptop computers and free wi-fi, exercise room, a rooftop barbeque area and a shared car for hourly rental. The apartments are one and two bedroom units with rents of $380 to $850 per month, and are already completely leased up with individuals and families who met limited annual-income requirements.
The development was made possible through the Urban Land Conservancy's purchase of the land in 2011 for $1.2 million using Denver's innovative Transit Oriented-Development Fund, a loan fund that was created to acquire and preserve land near transit stations for affordable housing and other community benefits. In 2012, the Urban Land Conservancy sold the land to Medici Communities for development, and Medici was awarded $1 million in annual low-income housing tax credits from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to help finance the project.
District 7 is lucky enough to have lots of great opportunities for its residents to live affordably next to our expansive light rail system, and Evans Station Lofts is another excellent example of our goal to provide quality housing where residents can live, work, and play in one sustainable community. For more information on Evans Station Lofts, click here. |
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Denver's Innovative 15th Street Bikeway Now Open
Denver is becoming a more bike-friendly city every day. Just last week, Denver Public Works opened a new left-side bike lane on 15th Street that runs from Civic Center to Larimer Square. The new bikeway will facilitate the safe accommodation of all modes of traffic along this busy corridor, with bicyclists using the left lane, motorists in the middle lanes, and buses on the right.
The first-of-its-kind in Denver, this bikeway introduces a host of innovative new features to Denver's bicycle infrastructure, and depending on its success may provide the template for future enhancements to Denver's expanding bikeway network. Some of the improvements to the 15th Street Bikeway include:
- Green pavement markings highlight proper positioning for bicyclists, as well as areas of shared space between bicyclists and motorists. Green pavement markings increase awareness of the presence of bicyclists, particularly in areas of potential turning movements, and define where a vehicle and bicycle share space, such as at a mixing zone or intersection. The markings also provide guidance to bicyclists on where to position themselves across the intersection.
- A green "bike box" is located at 15th Street and Cleveland Place to give bicyclists priority at the intersection. In the bike box, cyclists take their position ahead of cars to gain priority to move into the intersection when the signal turns green. Drivers must stop behind the green bike box at the white stop line. Both bicyclists and motorists must wait for the traffic signal to turn green, and when it does, they may move through the intersection with caution, with bicycles in the bike box traveling first to enter the left-side bikeway.
- Two green "turn queue boxes" are located at Welton and Lawrence Streets that aid bicyclists in making right turns. Turn queue boxes help cyclists turn right from the left-side bike lane. The turn queue box positions cyclists ahead of the crosswalk of the intersecting street, facing the intended direction of travel. The cyclist waits for the signal to turn green and then proceeds through the intersection on the right hand side.
- Two dedicated bike signals at 15th Street and Lawrence Street provide bicycles their own phase to move across the intersection, allowing the diagonal movement to the right-side of the street for bicyclists continuing to travel to lower Downtown.
- Mixing zones are located at the intersections of 15th Street and Tremont, Glenarm, California, Arapahoe, and Champa Streets. Mixing zones are the areas where motorists making left turns and cyclists continuing through the bikeway will merge before the intersection. In the five mixing zones along the corridor, motorists must yield to bicyclists before entering into the mixing zone to make a left turn. Motorists approaching mixing zones are encouraged to LOOK LEFT before entering the shared space.
After the bikeway has been utilized by cyclists, motorists, pedestrians and buses, Denver Public Works will evaluate the performance of the features and determine if these applications can be used elsewhere in the City. The review of the new bikeway will include public input through a very short survey found at www.denvergov.org/bikeprogram survey will be available through October 31, 2013. Try it, and give us your feedback! |
Denver's Backseat Budgeter Puts You in the Seat of Elected Officials
In addition to all the work we're doing in the city to provide more transit-oriented development, affordable housing, and bicycle options, we're also on the cusp of Denver's budget season. Ever wonder what it's like to negotiate and eventually vote on a multi-million dollar budget? Now's your chance. With the Backseat Budgeter - Denver Edition, you too can explore all the complexities nuances of a city budget. Even though our City budget is hundreds of pages long, it's still important for Denver citizens to have a basic understanding of what their city spends tax dollars on, how it's all financed, and how different spending choices can have an impact on other priorities. You can dive head first into Denver's budget here and put your municipal budgeting skills to test! |
Denver's Independent Monitor Here to Serve You
Ever wonder what, specifically, is the role of Denver's Independent Monitor? To put it shortly, the Office of the Independent Monitor is an important civilian oversight agency of our Police and Sheriff Departments. Led by Independent Monitor Nicholas E. Mitchell, the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) accepts officer/deputy complaints and commendations, monitors investigations of alleged officer and deputy misconduct, and recommends discipline to the Chief of Police, Director of Corrections and the Manager of Safety, when appropriate. In addition, the Independent Monitor makes recommendations on policy, procedure and training to help the Police and Sheriff Departments improve their service to the public.
For more information about OIM, please visit the web site at http://www.Denvergov.org/OIM or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DenverOIM. If you have had contact with sworn law enforcement personnel, good or bad, and would like to talk about it, please contact the OIM at OIM@denvergov.org, (720) 913-3306 or drop by their office in the Wellington Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Avenue, 12th Floor. The Independent Monitor always welcome invitations to talk about their work and the services they offer for any organization interested in understanding the importance of independent civilian oversight in Denver. |
InnovAge Center Moves into South Broadway to Serve Elderly Population
This fall, InnovAge will open its newest adult day/health center, InnovAge Greater Colorado PACE - Denver, a program that provides and coordinates health care, in-home care and a variety of support services to help aging individuals continue to live in their communities with dignity and independence. Located at 1265 South Broadway (formerly the location of Gump Glass), InnoVage has renovated the 36,355 square foot facility into a brand new center to serve more than 750 participants in Colorado's PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) program. For more information on InnovAge, click here. For more information on Colorado's PACE program, click here. |
Congresswoman Diana DeGette to Host Affordable Care Act Town Halls
On October 1st, the health insurance marketplaces for the Affordable Care Act will go into effect, helping to bring access to quality, affordable health care for Americans. Here in Colorado, our state's new online health marketplace, Connect for Health Colorado, will enable you and your family or small business, to shop for, compare, and purchase health insurance that meets your needs. As these marketplaces take effect, many people have questions about what it means for them and how it will work.
In response to these questions, Congresswoman Diana DeGette invites you to join her at one of four town hall meetings where you can learn more about the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance marketplaces, and other benefits of this comprehensive new health law. Panelists will also include representatives from Connect for Health Colorado, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the Small Business Majority. In addition, Heath Guides will be available after each panel to answer your questions. The four town halls are as follows:
Saturday, September 7, 2013
10:00 a.m.
National Jewish Health
Molly Blank Conference Center
1400 Jackson Street
Denver, CO 80206
Saturday, September 21, 2013
10:00 a.m.
McAuliffe International School
3480 Syracuse Street
Denver, CO 80238
Thursday, September 26, 2013
12:00 p.m.
McNichols Civic Center Building
144 West Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
Note: This will have a Small Business Focus
Thursday, September 26, 2013
6:00 p.m.
Barnum Recreation Center
360 Hooker St
Denver, CO 80219
Note: Spanish Translation offered
Space is limited so please RSVP to hold your seat by emailing DeGette.RSVP@Mail.House.Gov or by calling 303-844-4988. |
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Denver Great Kids Head Start Seeks Community Representatives
The Mayor's Office of Children's Affairs is seeking community representatives to serve on the Denver Great Kids Head Start Policy Council. The Policy Council is a 21-member council comprised of 12 parents who currently have children in the program and 9 community representatives who are recommended by either the Mayor or the City Council and approved by the council members themselves. The Policy Council advises Denver's Great Kids Head Start Program, which partners with six high quality pre-school providers to meet the comprehensive health and education needs of eligible 3-5 year olds.
City ordinance requires that community representatives represent various constituencies (i.e., foundations, law, business, fund-raising, health/medical, etc). Currently there are three vacancies on the Head Start Policy Council, all of which fall under the appointing authority of Mayor Hancock. These three seats represent the foundation, medical, and business sectors. If you or anyone else is interested in serving on the Denver Great Kids Head Start Policy Council, please forward a statement of interest and resume to Anthony Aragon at Anthony.Aragon@DenverGov.org no later than September 15th. |
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Denver County Cultural Council Seeking Applicants
Applications are also being accepted to fill a vacancy on the Denver County Cultural Council - the board authorized by the State of Colorado and appointed by Denver City Council to distribute Scientific & Cultural Facilities District Tier III revenues to science and cultural organizations in Denver.
The City Council is seeking applicants with active community involvement at the neighborhood level and professional, volunteer or advocacy experience in an art, cultural, scientific or historical organization. Applicants should have a citywide perspective and be willing to commit at least 15 to 20 hours per month to the cultural council. The workload peaks during the annual grant application review period, from March through June.
Applicants must:
- Be a resident of the City and County of Denver
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Not be a current board member or paid staff of any organization applying for Tier III funding
- Be willing to disclose any conflict of interest
Applications are due by October 7th, and you can access the application form here. For additional information, contact Denver Arts & Venues Manager of Cultural Programs Tariana Navas-Nieves at mailto:tariana.navas@denvergov.org or 720-865-4312. |
A+ Denver to Host DPS School Board Debates
Want to learn more about the DPS School Board candidates before November's election? Be sure to attend one of the upcoming debates hosted by A+ Denver. These debates will inform constituents about each candidate's view of district strategies and policies. There will be four debates (one for each of the contested seats) on the following dates:
- Sept 10 - District 4 - 7pm to 8pm
- Sept 18 - District 3 - 7pm to 8pm
- Sept 26 - At Large - 7pm to 8pm
- Oct 2 - District 2 - 7pm to 8pm
Each of the debates will be televised LIVE on Channel 22 or streamed online through the DPS TV website. Constituents can also submit a question for a candidate through A+ Denver's Facebook page and Twitter account. To attend a debate as a studio audience member, please email admin@aplusdenver.org, although seating is very limited. For more information, you can visit www.APlusDenver.org. |
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Polling Places Set for November 6th General Election
Once you're all up to speed on the DPS candidates, make sure you know where and how to cast your vote. If you're a registered voter, and you like to vote in person, click here to find your nearest voter service and polling center, as well as 24 hour drop box locations. If you are not a registered voter and would like to be, visit www.DenverVotes.org. |
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Annual South Platte River Sweep - September 21st
It's that time again for all hands on deck to help make Denver's South Platte River a little cleaner for the community. The annual South Platte River Sweep is happening once again. This will be the 21st consecutive year for this collaborative 15 mile multi-jurisdictional cleanup. The event is open to individuals, companies, schools, clubs, and neighborhood groups. Rally your friends and co-workers and join in on the fun!
Annual South Platte River Sweep
September 21, 7:30am - noon
Fishback Landing Park - 950 Water Street
Click here for more information. |
School is Back in Session! Be Aware of Parking Restrictions
New teachers, new friends, new clothes, and books...it's Back-to-School season in Denver! With new routines and the changes each school year brings, parking restrictions are likely the last thing on parents' minds. Denver Public Works reminds parents to read the posted parking signs to avoid a parking citation. Two of the most common overlooked parking restrictions around schools are street sweeping and bus lane restrictions. To avoid a ticket, make sure to look for the red and white signs and marked bus lanes next time you drop your kids off at school or attend a meeting or event. |
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Heat Wave Help
If you are having trouble with your summer utility bills or need help paying for appliance repairs, another great resource to contact is "Heat Wave Help." The program runs until October 31st and assists people financially when no other organization is able to assist. Qualifying households can receive up to $200 for utility costs, or up to $1,000 for heating or cooking appliance repairs including fans. Before you complete the application, please call 1-866-HEAT-HELP to see if you qualify. For more details, click here. |
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