Committee advances rezoning for 800 15th St. to allow Denver Theater District digital signage

800 Fifteenth Street moved one step closer to being eligible for digital signage after the Community Planning and Housing Committee voted to forward a rezoning proposal to the full Denver City Council.

Liz Weigel, a planner with Community Planning and Development, presented the application on Aug. 19, asking that the property’s current downtown core zoning be changed to the Denver Theater District zoning while retaining the U01 adult-use overlay. Weigel said the rezoning would allow “electronic message center signage” and help the site “serve as a gateway to the Denver Theater District.”

The rezoning request was accepted and noticed in June and went to Planning Board on Aug. 6, where members recommended approval by a 7–2 vote, Weigel said. Staff reviewed the application against the city’s adopted plans, including the citywide Comp Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver and the currently adopted downtown area plan from February 2007, and concluded the request furthers public interest by promoting vibrancy and connections to arts and culture adjacent to the Performing Arts Center and convention facilities.

Jonathan Gandhi, who identified himself as an owner of JVK Hotels, told the committee the owner hopes the sign will help define the entry to the Theater District and attract visitors. "Since COVID downtown has really not been the same in terms of generating excitement," Gandhi said, adding that the property is located at the corner of Stout Street and 15th, across from the convention center and leading toward the Performing Arts Center.

David Erlick of the Denver Theater District explained how the district sign plan works and how decisions about sign placement are made. Erlick said the theater district board — described as city representatives and downtown stakeholders — looks at gathering areas and sidewalks, and considers residential impacts when recommending whether a specific sign should be allowed. "We look at gathering areas and sort of placemaking areas," Erlick said. He also said the district’s sign-plan contracts include operating requirements to respond to complaints about brightness.

Committee members asked about the size, placement and brightness controls for the allowed signs. Erlick said the Theater District sign plan uses a standard maximum “yellow box” dimension and that many permitted signs in the district take a roughly 14-by-48-foot maximum; he said the plan specifies whether a sign can be static or digital and that, in this case, the applicant proposes a digital sign. He added that signs in the Theater District are typically affixed to buildings and rooftop signage and freestanding poll signs are not allowed.

Council members pressed planning staff about the boundary for the Theater District shown in the 2007 downtown area plan and asked whether the boundary would change under the draft downtown area plan now out for public review. Weigel said the draft downtown area plan does show potential expansion of the Theater District boundary and staff hopes the forthcoming area plan will provide clearer guidance about signs and where theater-district signage should be allowed.

Planning board’s minority "no" votes, Weigel said, centered on whether the existing plans give adequate direction on signs, how signs contribute to equitable outcomes and whether there was enough guidance to justify broad sign allowances without the updated downtown plan. Weigel and Erlick said the Theater District sign plan requires a follow-up district sign plan and that individual signs would be reviewed against that plan by Planning Board before permits are issued.

Committee Chair Councilmember Sarah Paradis called for a motion to move the rezoning to the full council for public hearing. Councilmember Jamie Torres moved and Councilmember Robert Campbell seconded; committee members indicated consent by thumbs-up and the item was forwarded to the full council for a public hearing in October, according to staff’s public-hearing timeline.

Why it matters: the rezoning would permit off-site, animated or digital signs at a highly visible downtown corner adjacent to major visitor and arts venues. Supporters said the signs could boost wayfinding and the theater district’s identity; critics at Planning Board questioned whether current plans give clear direction about sign policy and equity impacts. The full City Council will hold a public hearing before deciding whether to adopt the rezoning.

Sources: committee hearing, Community Planning and Development staff presentation and statements from the applicant and the Denver Theater District.