City Cast Denver
🐶 To leash? Or not to leash?
August 22, 2023
Good morning, Denver! Beginning next year, the city will charge Denver homeowners an annual fee to fund citywide sidewalk construction, repairs, and maintenance. Individual fees will depend on the size and location of each property. Wondering what yours might be? Check out the city’s fee estimating tool 🚧 💰
What's CITY Talking About?
🌳 RIP Congress Park Trees
The Denver Department of Parks and Rec is facing backlash from some Denver residents after city officials cut down six mature trees at Congress Park to make way for more sidewalks. While most residents recognize the importance of accessibility improvements in the park, they’re questioning whether the city considered any options that didn’t require the removal of large, healthy trees. Officials say 60-70 more trees are in the construction zone, but they’re going to do their best to work around them. [Westword]
🐶 To Leash? Or Not to Leash?
In a debate that continues to divide Denver dog-owners, off-leash citations at city parks have increased significantly this year. Denver park rangers have issued more than 400 citations so far in 2023 (for comparison, they issued only 164 for all of 2022). City officials say off-leash dogs are the no. 1 complaint called into Denver’s 311. [CBS]
- 🎧 Hear what your neighbors think: We asked readers and listeners about this hot-button topic last summer for an off-leash dog debate on the City Cast Denver podcast. [City Cast Denver]
🌡️ 43 Denver Schools Still Lack AC
As temperatures soar, the Denver school district continues to inch toward its goal of getting air conditioning into all of its schools. This year, 11 more schools than last year will have AC. Next year, 13 more will join that list — but that still leaves 31 campuses without the resources to beat the heat. [Chalkbeat]
What To Do
✏️ ‘The Office’ Trivia | Tuesday | 7-9 p.m.
How well do you know the offices of Scranton, Pennsylvania’s favorite mid-tier paper company? You can prove your Dunder Mifflin knowledge at this “Office” trivia event hosted by First Draft Taproom. [Five Points; Free to play]
💿 Vinyl Night | Tuesday | 4-10 p.m.
Bring your favorite vinyl record to Odell Brewing at Sloan’s Lake. Not only will the DJ play your personal tunes, you’ll get your first pint for free! [Sloan’s Lake]
🏛️ ‘I Am Auraria’ Opening Reception | Wednesday | 5-7 p.m.
Before the Auraria college campus became what it is today, it was a neighborhood predominantly home to Denver’s Chicano residents. This new exhibit in partnership with History Colorado showcases oral history, old photos, and other ephemera gathered from the Auraria community. [Auraria; Free]
Today on City Cast
New Clues to the Westside's Future, the Startup Bug, and the Hottest 'Za in Town
A new arts and culture campus is being built in Denver’s Westside — just as surrounding neighborhoods are seeing massive development projects boom, too. So what does it all mean for Denver’s built environment? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are breaking it down, along with all the other big stories of the week.
One quick thing: In yesterday’s newsletter, we wrote about the history of Denver’s REI flagship building and its neighboring structure. Reader Mark B. astutely pointed out a minor error: “The building identified as the Harry H. Post building, originally built for International Harvester, has NOT been demolished. It’s still there, renovated sometime in the late 70s or early 80s.” Thank you for your keen eye, Mark! 🙏
— Peyton Garcia
Free · Daily