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Denver commenters say city seizure of Mercury Cafe building shut out longtime arts communities
Summary
Multiple public commenters told City Council that a jeopardy assessment and changed locks at the Mercury Cafe building have denied access to separate long-standing arts communities — including a poetry open mic and a swing-dance group — and urged the city to restore entry for those groups while enforcement action proceeds.
Speakers at a Denver City Council public-comment session urged the council to restore community access to a building the city recently sealed as part of a tax-related jeopardy assessment, saying the move has harmed long-running arts and social groups.
"Denver has evicted and irreparably harmed two communities that have been in this building for over a decade," said Andrew Frieli, who identified himself as a resident and a member of the affected communities, describing a separate poetry open mic and a swing-dance community that used the…
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