💭 A big idea to fix RTD

We’re back with more recommendations from City Cast Denver Neighbors about their fave local people, spots, and organizations in the Mile High, so they can become your favorites too 💕

📣 Gina J. recommends Table 6. “It’s the coziest spot for dinner with friends. Have the duck confit!”

📣 Kim is calling attention to DecorAsian on South Broadway. “An absolute gem. This place is eclectic international furniture store meets free museum. It is deceptively MASSIVE, and has so many storied pieces. Hot tip: Rusty, the owner, is a sweetheart and always seems to be willing to make a deal!”

📣 Rebecca B. wants to shoutout Kayte Green at Recovering Hipster, which is opening a new location at 2940 E Colfax this Saturday, Feb. 7. “Sustainable shopping for all sizes!”

Become a City Cast Denver Neighbor today to share your own shoutout in this newsletter!

🗳️ Lisa Calderón is Running for Mayor (Again)

The progressive activist and criminal justice educator announced her decision to enter the 2027 race this week. Calderón also ran for mayor in 2019 and 2023, coming in third both times. She’s been heavily critical of the Johnston administration’s approach to homelessness and the handling of the city budget, and says her decision to run again came in response to his layoffs of 169 city workers last year. [Denverite; 9News]

According to her campaign video, Calderón’s priorities include rehiring those laid off workers, implementing free universal childcare, creating stronger renter protections, and focusing on pedestrian and cyclist safety.

🎧 Listen now to some of our past conversations with Lisa Calderón:

• During her 2023 run for mayor, Calderón talked to us about transforming office buildings and DPS school buildings into housing, neighborhood walkability and cyclist safety, and more.
• In a 2024 conversation with us, Calderón criticized Mayor Johnston’s approach to reducing gun violence, including the role of “quality of life” issues in violent crime and public health’s place in policing.
• After the mayor’s 2025 State of the City address, Calderón told us Johnston’s idea of “learned hopefulness” was just “classic gaslighting.”

🏘️ Do Denver Voters Want Denser Housing?

Two local housing advocates want to find out. They’ve drafted a ballot initiative that would automatically upzone tens of thousands of properties across Denver to allow for denser housing without requiring case-by-case rezoning requests. The proposal is still being reviewed by the city, and organizers would need to collect 10,000 valid signatures by June to qualify for the ballot. [Denverite]

💭 A Big Idea to Fix RTD

Grappling with stubbornly low ridership and a looming budget shortfall, RTD needs help. Now, after months of research and discussion, the accountability committee convened by state lawmakers last year is ready to suggest some solutions. So we invited the committee’s co-chairs, Maria Garcia Berry and Jamie Lewis, on the podcast to lay it all out. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🔎 Boulder-based Kimbal Musk Named in Epstein Files

In the most recent batch of records released by the Department of Justice, Kimbal Musk — local restaurateur and brother of billionaire Elon Musk — appeared dozens of times in correspondence with disgraced financier and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein between 2012 and 2015, after Epstein’s 2008 sex crime conviction. [Denver Post 🔒]

⚖️ The ICE Debate Unfolding in Legislature

In response to a conservative-backed ballot initiative set to go before voters this fall that would require local law enforcement to cooperate more with federal immigration officials, Democratic lawmakers are pushing forward a number of opposing proposals that would restrict information sharing, prohibit face masks for ICE agents, and expand accountability for constitutional violations by federal agents. [Westword]

• Related: State Dems are also calling on the Department of Homeland Security to launch an independent investigation into the tactics allegedly being used by ICE agents in Eagle County, including “fake traffic strops” and leaving ace of spades cards on the cars of detained individuals as an intimidation technique. [CO Sun]