City Layoffs Imminent, Downtown in 2047, and Gov. Polis’ Dream for Civic Center

Dropping the word “mall” from 16th Street wasn’t Mayor Mike Johnston’s only big announcement last week. He also revealed that flagging sales and property tax revenues alongside increasing costs have led to a $250 million budget deficit, and the city government is preparing for layoffs, furloughs, and other cuts. So Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to connect the dots between the big push to revitalize downtown and the threat of layoffs in city offices. Plus, we discuss Gov. Jared Polis’s personal pet plan for downtown: an elevated pedestrian bridge connecting Civic Center Park to the Capitol. 

Patty mentions Alan Prendergast’s remembrance of how 16th Street became a mall in the first place. Paul talks about the draft 20-year plan for downtown, which won’t go into effect before Denverites share their feedback and City Council votes later this year, and the last 20-year plan for downtown, which was adopted in 2007. He also talks about Denverite’s reporting on the auditor’s work on employee morale inside the city government. 

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