Denver, CO

At Vine Street Pub, nothing is different — but everything has changed

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2024

At Vine Street Pub, nothing is different — but everything has changed

Places matter. Spaces matter. That’s never been more clear than it was when the Vine Street Pub & Brewery reopened its doors this month, four years after closing them for the pandemic.

“People have been so kind, sharing memories and telling stories, said Kevin Daly, who founded the Mountain Sun Pub and brewery group in Boulder in 1993 and opened Vine Street in 2008.

“It feels great. I’ve always felt like I had a mission-based job that creates community, that offers that third place for people to go. I think we will do well,” he added.

Kevin Daly, the owner of Vine Street Pub & Brewery, poses outside of his restaurant in Denver on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Photo by Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post)

The brewpub, at 1700 Vine St., officially reopened last weekend and will maintain hours Thursdays through Sundays for now before expanding them down the road.

In many ways, not much has changed on the inside over those four years. The homey interior looks much the way it did in early 2020, and the menu still offers wings, burgers, sandwiches and classic Vine Street beers like Colorado Kind, F.Y.I.P.A and Megatron Imperial Stout. There is also an old ATM in the corner, although Vine Street finally accepts credit cards now.

And yet, everything is different on the outside, Daly said. People don’t go out as often as they did before the pandemic, restaurant prices have skyrocketed, hospitality workers have moved on, and commuters who used to come into the city to their jobs now work from home. That means it’s harder than ever to run a restaurant and make a profit, he pointed out.

But the problems didn’t show on Thursday as employees smiled ear to ear, carrying dishes from the kitchen to excited tables full of old regulars and curious newcomers.

Steve McConnell, who lives across the street from the pub remembers watching people from his porch on the day the business first opened in 2008. He also recalls his first visit when he showed up without any cash — as many people did — to the cash- and check-only restaurant and was told to just come back the next day to pay. He did, and he kept coming for years.

“Monday burger-and-beer night was my favorite,” he said, joking that he wanted to install a rope connecting his house to the pub so that he could find it in case of a blizzard.

Other changes at Vine Street include:

— The kitchen was gutted and remodeled to make it more efficient.

— The Buffalo wings are sadly smaller and come without the breading that made them stand out in the old days — a victim of rising food costs — but they still taste delicious.

— Some old menu items are missing, but new chef Lincoln Humphrey plans to bring some back as weekly specials. He’ll also add pizza and dishes of his own creation. “We don’t want to change too much because of the culture here, but we’ll change them just enough,” he said.

— The beer list has been updated with more modern selections, like the delicious Tank Top hazy IPA, and there is now a house-brewed hard seltzer (currently pineapple passion fruit).

It took Daly four years to reopen Vine Street, in part, because he also runs four other pubs, Mountain Sun, Southern Sun and Under the Sun, all in Boulder, and Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse in Longmont — and Vine Street was the furthest from his home. He also wanted to take his time finding the right group of people to run it, he said.

The company, which owns the building, has continued to use the brewing facility in back over the past few years. Three of those restaurants reopened in 2021, while the fourth returned in 2022.

A large crowd forms inside Vine Street Pub & Brewery in Denver on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Photo by Zachary Spindler-Krage/The Denver Post)

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Denver, CO

Family identifies teenage victim of deadly shooting at recreation center in Denver

Published

3 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Press Room

Family identifies teenage victim of deadly shooting at recreation center in Denver

Family members have identified the teenage victim of the deadly shooting at Denver’s Montbello Recreation Center as 14-year-old Mikail Nasir Khalid Payne, who went by Nasir. According to the family, Nasir was standing up for his older brother in an altercation when the shooting happened.

The shooting happened Thursday night at the Montbello Recreation Center off E. 53rd Ave in northeast Denver. Denver Police say a boy has since been arrested and is being held in custody for investigation of first-degree murder.

Nasir’s uncle, Sareef Aleem, said his two nephews went to the rec center on Thursday night. He said Nasir’s older brother was there when the shooting happened and witnessed it.

“Two kids confronted Hassan, and they put their hands on him, and as soon as Nasir stood up, another kid, a third kid that was on the side, blindsided him, and just shot him,” said Aleem. “It’s very difficult. I got the call late last night, we’re just shocked.”

Mikail Nasir Khalid Payne

Sareef Aleem

Police say those involved knew one another, and the victim, Nasir, died at the scene. Police also say it was an isolated incident.

A recreation center is known to be a safe space for many kids after school or during the summer, Nasir’s family says.

“They were created to be a safe place for our kids to go, where they didn’t have to worry about getting shot or assaulted,” said Aleem. “We need to check our kids, check their bags, check their rooms and make sure that they’re taking basketballs to the rec center and not pistols.”

Jolon Clark, Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, said in a statement, “Recreation centers are more than facilities. They are gathering places where community is built, where young people learn and grow and where families come together. They have long been and remain the safest place for our youth to gather, which makes today so much harder.”

Aleem said his nephew, Nasir, was one month away from turning 15. He added that Nasir was respectful, kind, and had an entrepreneurial spirit.

“He used to help his family with their landscaping business on a regular basis. He also used to sell little perfume oils right here in this neighborhood and at the car wash over there. People knew him and respected him,” said Aleem.

“He was well-mannered, courteous, excellent character,” said Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali.

Abdur-Rahim Ali and others gathered at an Islamic Center on Friday, a day of worship for the Islamic community, where Nasir and his family visit often.

“I knew him from coming here for services. He was very intelligent, respectful individual. He came in and made prayer on a frequent basis, and just a respectful youth,” said Abdur-Rahim Ali. “The main day of worship for us is on Fridays, so many people came today, and we told them what happened. Of course, it’s a shock.”

Aleem said in Islamic tradition, family members try to bury their loved ones within 24 hours. As Memorial Day Weekend is just ahead, he added it’s been a burden on the family to take care of before the holiday.

“His family is distraught right now. They’re trying to process what happened. His family just wants everybody to know that he was a good kid, and he didn’t deserve this,” said Aleem. “It’s just a shame that he’s not around to fulfill his dreams.”

The family is also raising money to cover funeral costs.

As the investigation is underway, the Montbello Recreation Center is also closed until further notice.

In a statement from Mayor Mike Johnston, he said, “No statement can capture the grief we feel today. Our hearts are broken. To the family of the victim and the entire Montbello community, know that you have our deepest sympathies and our unwavering support.”

In a statement from the Denver City Council, they said: “The Denver City Council joins Mayor Mike Johnston in extending heartfelt sympathies to the victim’s family, Montbello residents, young people, and the staff at the Montbello Recreation Center following Thursday’s tragic shooting.”

Denver Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 720‑913‑7867.

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Denver, CO

Agency releases claim on $5 million of $7.5 million owed for new Broncos stadium

Published

15 hours ago

May 22, 2026

Press Room

Agency releases claim on million of .5 million owed for new Broncos stadium

When the Colorado Department of Transportation’s investment arm had the chance to buy the idle Burnham Yard from Union Pacific in early 2021 for $50 million, money was tight.

CDOT turned to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade for a $7.5 million loan, which, together with a $7.5 million down payment from the High Performance Transportation Enterprise or HPTE, allowed a $35 million commercial bank loan to move forward in May of that year.

The deal was touted as a once-in-a-generation opportunity that would allow Interstate 25 between Colfax and Santa Fe to be widened and straightened. The purchase could improve transit access, including serving as a potential hub for a Front Range Passenger Rail line.

Not only would frustrated commuters gain back the countless hours of time they were losing to a poor road design, but chances were good that CDOT could make money on flipping the land it didn’t need.

Definitely enough to repay OEDIT, Shoshana Lew, CDOT’s executive director at the time, reassured commissioners.

None of that is happening.

CDOT will sell the 58 acres of Burnham Yard to the Denver Broncos, who are looking to build a new stadium on the site, for $45.8 million, less than what it paid.

After a deeper dive, CDOT nixed its original plans for transit improvements and found the land was more contaminated than expected. It also realized that straightening out I-25 was going to cost billions of dollars it didn’t have.

But not all was lost. A $4 billion football stadium and entertainment district will go into the area, with transit upgrades to serve that new use.

And as for the $7.5 million loan that is owed to OEDIT, only $2.5 million will go back into the state’s Strategic Fund, which is used to recruit employers and fund economic development programs across the state.

The fund has about $3.8 million left.

“What we are asking for today is to convert $5 million of the $7.5 million overall loan into a grant to make the rest of the infrastructure commitments that we’ve made happen,” Lisa Kaufmann, strategic adviser to Gov. Jared Polis, told the Economic Development Commission on Thursday morning.

The money would help fund a relocation of the main rail line, improve road access from Interstate 25, and eliminate three at-grade rail crossings.

For the “modest investment” in public infrastructure, the state would get billions of dollars in private investment, Kaufmann said.

And if that weren’t enough to sway the commissioners, Kaufmann reminded them that the reason the Strategic Fund even had the dollars to lend out was that she had lobbied to get $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds in there.

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