It’s no secret that downtown has seen better days. Restaurants keep closing, office buildings are emptier than ever, and yet another “clean and safe” initiative has launched to combat negative perceptions. So what is there to be done? Well, we have a few out-of-the-box ideas…
Public Restrooms
Simple — provide a place for people downtown to go to the bathroom. Offering multiple clean, safe, and accessible restrooms would take the pressure off businesses to offer bathrooms to the public, and hopefully, well, lead to less sanitary concerns.
Vacancy Tax on Empty Retail Spaces
Downtown is plagued by abandoned storefronts. Imposing a “vacancy tax” on landlords who are allowing storefronts to sit empty could be just the nudge they need to find that next great tenant — or sell!
Denver’s iconic “Mustang” (aka “Blucifer”) sculpture at DIA. (Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post / Getty Images)
An Immersive ‘Old Denver’ Experience
Miss wandering around the ‘80s-era Tabor Center when it was a mall? Have a hankering to go ice skating on the downtown rink in front of the long-demolished May D&F? Wish you could time travel back to the Brown Palace’s opening day in 1892? An immersive, virtual reality version of “Old Denver” is ripe for invention!
A Third ‘Big Blue’ Public Art Piece
Denver’s internationally known for our big blue animals — see Blucifer and the Big Blue Bear. What’s stopping us from adding another to our public art ranks? Picture this: A big blue dragon peering at you from the top of, say, Union Station or the Cash Register Building.
Get Rid of One-Way Streets
How many times have you missed your turn or passed up a prime parking spot, only to find yourself driving blocks out of your way before circling back to where you began? Plus, two-way streets can slow traffic (yay for pedestrian safety!) and increase visibility for businesses. A win-win for everyone.
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