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Denver council approves Downtown Development Authority boundary change over objections
Summary
The City Council approved Council Bill 14-27 amending Downtown Development Authority boundaries after staff explained inclusion criteria; two councilmembers opposed, citing concerns about Civic Center and historic preservation.
Denver City Council on Oct. 20 approved a map amendment to expand the boundaries of the Downtown Development Authority (DDDA), moving the bill to final passage despite vocal dissent from two councilmembers.
Council Bill 14-27 amends several ordinances to change DDDA boundaries. Councilmember Lewis asked what discretionary factors the DDDA board could rely on to deny a petition for inclusion. Donna Wilder of the Department of Finance said a petitioner must demonstrate fee ownership and adjacency, provide a satisfactory legal description and plot map, and submit title work; staff then vets submissions with the City Attorney’s Office and City Surveyor.
Councilmembers Flynn and Paradis said they would vote no. Flynn said he opposed inclusion of the Civic Center parcels, arguing the proposed redevelopment was “too much” and risked harm to the nationally registered Civic Center landmark. Parady echoed those concerns and said she planned to vote no for the same reasons. Despite that opposition, on final roll call the measure passed (recorded as 8 ayes). The council did not amend the bill during the session.
What’s next: with passage, the amended DDDA boundary ordinance moves forward as adopted by the council. Staff described the petition and vetting process for any property owner seeking later inclusion to the district.
