Denver, CO
Denver could extend key deadline for languishing apartment projects
A West Wash Park apartment building under construction in 2019. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Denver is considering throwing a lifeline to 23,000 planned apartments and residences at risk of never getting built.
Currently, developers have 30 months from the time their project’s site development plan is approved to obtain building permits to begin construction. Otherwise, their SDP expires, and they must resubmit it if they hope to build.
But with an increasing supply of apartments and the costs to build new ones rising, groundbreakings have fallen off a cliff. That means a lot of SDPs are languishing — approved, but with a developer unable or unwilling to break ground.
“The oversupply our city is experiencing right now is short-lived, and so it’s really important that we keep these shovel-ready projects alive so that we don’t see an undersupply,” said Brad Buchanan, executive director of Denver’s Community Planning and Development department.
Brad Buchanan
Buchanan’s department is pushing the Denver City Council to approve a measure for all projects that had an SDP approved before 2026 to extend the deadline to get their permits by an additional three years.
The Denver Planning Board will be the first governmental body to review the plan. It’s scheduled to weigh in Wednesday afternoon. The City Council will vote on the measure in May. Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval is also sponsoring the bill.
Many of the projects that could be extended were submitted in the months before the July 2022 implementation of the city’s Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance, which requires new residential projects to reserve between 8% and 15% of their units for people making below the median income, or to pay a large fee.
Jonathan Alpert, partner at local developer Westfield, said that requirement would make it more difficult for him to break ground. He has two site development plans approved. Both are 8-story apartment buildings, one in LoDo and one in Cap Hill.
Westfield’s projects would be subject to the EHA if the plans expire and it resubmits them.
“They certainly do not work right now with the headwinds and the market,” Alpert said of his projects. “If we’re subject to the EHA, that exacerbates the issue.
“This potential extension is huge for us.”
Alpert noted that macroeconomic factors, like high interest rates and construction costs, have complicated development nationally.
“As a result of the oversupply, rents are not there,” he said. “It’s hard to make any of these projects pencil, and demand is down right now.”
The first projects approved before the EHA took effect had their SDPs expire in December, according to Buchanan.
“We’ve lost some others once since then, and we’re about to lose a lot more this year,” he added.
Denver’s apartment vacancy sits at 8.2%, according to the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, the highest since 2010. And concessions on new units have risen to record highs, too. The city saw 10,300 apartments break ground in 2021, far higher than the 2,300 started last year, according to data from JRES Intelica CRE.
But developers are predicting a turnaround. Sean Campbell, president of Formativ, which is constructing projects in RiNo and Littleton, said he sees rents for new apartments rising in the first quarter of next year.
“If Denver is perceived to have an oversupply … cautious institutional investors will say, ‘Hey, let’s wait six or 12 months and then we’ll [break ground],’ and that’s really what this SDP extension is all about,” he said.
But without approved projects ready to break ground, builders may not be able to construct new housing until supply gets overly constrained and rents shoot up.
“If we canceled everybody’s SDP, we wouldn’t have the ability to regenerate the pipeline,” Campbell said.
Denver, CO
Broncos signing linebacker Red Murdock to 4-year rookie contract
Last chosen, first signed.
New Denver Broncos linebacker Red Murdock agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract on Tuesday. The news was first reported by 850 KOA’s Benjamin Albright. Murdock’s contract is worth $4.503 million with a $122,000 signing bonus.
Murdock was the 257th and final player selected in the 2026 NFL draft, earning the title of “Mr. Irrelevant.” Murdock (6-1, 232 pounds) was a force to be reckoned with for Buffalo in the MAC during his four-year college career. Murdock set a new FBS record with 17 forced fumbles, breaking the record of former Bulls all-star Khalil Mack.
Murdock is the first of Denver’s seven drafted rookies to sign his first pro contract, ahead of reporting to Broncos rookie minicamp later this week. It is anticipated that the other rookies will follow in short order, making them officially members of the team.
Denver began the offseason program on Monday, with organized team activities scheduled to begin in June. After that, fans will get to sell all the club’s rookies, including Murdock, at training camp later this summer.
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Denver, CO
Denver area faces hazardous Wednesday morning commute as heavy, wet snow begins to fall
DENVER — A strong, late-season snowstorm has moved into northern Colorado and the Front Range Tuesday evening and will continue into Wednesday, making for a hazardous morning commute.
MORE | Denver7 weather blog
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from midnight Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday.
How much are we getting?
The NWS forecasts 5-8 inches of snow for the Interstate 25 corridor, while areas closer to the foothills could receive up to 9 inches.
For the Eastern Plains, forecasters expect 2-6 inches of snow, a lower total than in the Front Range.
The Northern Mountains and foothills could receive as much as 2 feet of snow, with Estes Park and surrounding areas seeing early accumulation Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Southern Mountains are forecasted to get 6-14 inches.
NWS
When will it get here?
In Denver, rain began to transition to snow around 5 p.m. And snow accumulation is expected to continue into Wednesday afternoon, according to the NWS.
Forecasters expect that from Tuesday at midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday will see the brunt of this storm in the Denver metro area.
NWS
What are the biggest concerns?
That midnight-to-9 a.m. stretch of snowfall should have the biggest impact, according to the NWS.
Wet, heavy snowfall poses the greatest risk for broken branches and tree damage, especially in areas with the largest accumulations, which can cause scattered power outages.
Hazardous conditions, especially for the morning commute in the Denver metro area, are expected due to heavy snowfall. The Colorado Department of Transportation is prepared for these impacts.
CDOT said there will be about 100 plows throughout the storm, focusing on clearing interstates and major roadways first before secondary roads.
Tuesday evening forecast
When will it skidaddle out of here?
Snow accumulation should end north to south by midday Wednesday, with drier weather moving in Wednesday night into Thursday.
Denver will see a high of 39 degrees with a low dropping below freezing on Wednesday. A freeze warning is likely on Wednesday night.
Thursday, we may see a shower or two, but mild springlike conditions will return.
NWS
Weather Links
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Denver, CO
Denver welcomes national Democrats for 2028 convention site visit, starting with a trip on the A-Line
Denver will welcome representatives from the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday for a three-day show-and-tell highlighting the city as Mayor Mike Johnston tries to woo the party’s leaders into hosting their 2028 convention in the West.
If he’s successful, it will mean 50,000 people will pour into Denver for four days in August of that year.
“It’s kind of like four Super Bowls in a row,” Johnston said in an interview with Denver Post journalists in advance of the delegation’s site visit.
Throughout the visit, much of which could happen during a spring snowstorm, Denver city leaders will attempt to demonstrate the city’s logistical, financial and merriment potential.
Denver is the only one of five finalist cities that is located west of the Mississippi River. The other options are Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. DNC leaders, including chair Ken Martin, have already visited Atlanta and Philadelphia.
The competition between the rival cities has already begun.
Atlanta’s mayor recently called out most of the other bidding cities, saying, “Boston is history. Philadelphia is played out. Denver is nostalgia. Atlanta is now,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Johnston responded to that, saying: “Of all the disses, I thought ours was actually the best.” It refers to the city’s much-lauded hosting of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, where then-Sen. Barack Obama accepted his party’s nomination on his way to becoming the nation’s first Black president.
Denver’s plan is to focus on what the city has to offer instead of attacking the others, Johnston added. He did take a few jabs throughout the conversation, though.
“(Denver) is cool in the summertime and it’s not 110 degrees in August, like it is in some other places that I won’t name,” he said.
Talking about some of the criteria the DNC will consider in the decision, he said: “It’s very much like, you either have a 20,000-person arena or you don’t. Atlanta does not.”
The visit plan
During the site visit, Johnston and other city leaders will try to infuse “little moments of joy” while also showing off the city’s infrastructure. That will include visits to some of the city’s best restaurants and bars, along with a tour of Rockmount Ranch Wear in Lower Downtown.
If Denver wins the bid, the city plans to host excursions for the delegates in two years. While they’re in the city, visitors are likely to have downtime to explore the region. For their entertainment, Denver will offer things like craft beer tours, history courses on neighborhoods like Five Points and a trip to the city’s mountain parks, Johnston said.
Different bars would be dedicated to delegates from each state — including miniature versions of Denver’s big blue bear in front of each, with a painted flag from their state.
This week’s site visit won’t all be about bid leaders’ ideas for fun, though.
Johnston’s team will also have to show that hosting the convention in Denver will make things easier on the event planners.
After the representatives land at Denver International Airport, Denver officials will show them how to use the A-Line train to travel into the heart of the city — an option that didn’t exist in 2008. Once there, they will lead them on a short walk to some of the nearby hotels.
Johnston said that when he’s spoken to other delegates about past conventions, their biggest complaints have been mostly logistical, such as long commutes between venues. Ball Arena’s easy proximity to downtown is a strong suit of the bid.
Beyond logistical concerns, Denver’s bid team will talk about the city’s hotel offerings, space available for the convention, security options and parking spots. The city’s recent expansion of the Colorado Convention Center is also a major selling point, he said.
Another important focus will be the city’s fundraising capabilities, though officials haven’t cited a specific dollar figure they’re aiming for or disclosed their progress in securing commitments.
“I actually feel very confident about our path. … We are ahead of our projection for what we can raise,” Johnston said.
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