Denver, CO
Mapped: These are the properties on Denver’s neglected buildings list
Paperwork outside a building at 539 N. Bannock St. notes it has been added to Denver’s list of neglected and derelict buildings. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
A seemingly innocuous building along Federal Boulevard nestled against a city park has been the source of two dozen police calls and the subject of criminal investigations ranging from human trafficking to drug sales.
Across town at 1600-1618 E. Colfax Ave, two buildings have been vacant for years. They both were torched by a fire earlier this year.
These properties are just a few of those on Denver’s list of “neglected and derelict” buildings. The formal designation aims to get the city’s most troubled structures back on solid footing, although the process is being targeted for possible changes.
“I can’t think of many issues that touch every (council) district quite as intimately as this does,” Councilman Paul Kashmann said at a council briefing on the program last month.
As of this week, the list contains 164 properties, the majority of them single-family homes. The city in January hired a full-time employee who works to manage and enforce the list, and so far this year, 80 buildings have been added to the list. That compares to 21 in all of 2023.
Even Denver’s more upscale neighborhoods make an appearance on the list. In Cherry Creek, three adjacent properties clustered on Jackson Street qualify, while neighboring Hilltop has two. Belcaro has a single-family home at 950 S. University Blvd. meeting the mark. LoHi has three.
Downtown and Wash Park, notably, do not have a single property on the list.
But derelict properties align more with streets than neighborhoods. Over a dozen properties flagged by Denver sit along Colfax. Speer has eight, most of which are bunched up by 3rd Avenue.
Buildings are typically added to the list via complaints from neighbors, said Alexandra Foster, a spokeswoman for Denver’s Community Planning and Development department. That was the case for a building in Ballpark at 2100 Larimer St., which BusinessDen reported on last week.
When a complaint is received, a city inspector is dispatched, and checks to see if the property meets one of the following criteria:
• The property is unsafe.
• The property is, for any three consecutive months, not lawfully occupied, wholly or partially boarded up, and does not show evidence of substantial and ongoing construction activity.
• The property is not lawfully occupied and has been in violation of city or state law on three separate occasions within a two-year period.
• The property is not lawfully occupied and at least one year behind on property taxes.
• The property is a neighborhood nuisance.
• The property is classified as historic but not being preserved in accordance with city rules;
This building at 1251 N. Federal Blvd. in Denver is on the city’s list of neglected and derelict buildings. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
If at least one of the above is true, the building is added to the list, and the process of getting it up to code begins. The owner of the unsightly property must submit a “remedial plan” to the city within 30 days.
“Once on the list, our inspections team will work with the property owner to secure the site in the short-term and develop a plan for addressing code and safety issues in the longer term,” Foster said. “Buildings stay on the list until all issues have been addressed and they are in compliance. In the meantime, city inspectors check the buildings on the list on a regular basis to make sure they are safe and not accessible.”
Fifteen buildings have been on the list for more than seven years, according to the city. But Denver doesn’t have any special way to crack down on properties which have been listed for an extended period of time.
Councilmembers Amanda Sawyer, Jamie Torres and Kashmann directed their staff to research and present possible updates to the code in a meeting that occurred late last month. Discussions also spilled into what to do with properties that intentionally remain vacant.
“We even see it downtown, some of those (properties) are held open or vacant until a higher-rent occupant can come in, which is a really difficult thing to have our neighborhoods deal with,” Torres said.
The building at 2100 Larimer St. was added to the list last month. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
Council staff members said the policies and procedures related to the list haven’t been updated since 2012. In that time, nearby municipalities like Lakewood, and other cities around the country, have enacted various procedures for these types of buildings, which the staffers said they’re studying. But staffing capacity is a huge hurdle Denver will need to overcome to create a stricter, more enforceable code.
“We have to have more teeth,” Amanda Sawyer said. “Our staff needs to be supported better, whether it be in numbers, whether it be in resources, whether it be in the actual language of the ordinance itself.”
When Denver Central Market opened at 2669 Larimer Street 10 years ago, the food hall was a harbinger of RINo’s revitalization, serving as an anchor destination for residents and visitors alike.
Today, the space looks to be in the midst of a seismic transition. Over the past week, three of the vendors occupying prime real estate in the 12,000 square-foot facility have exited, leaving behind empty shelves, empty counters and, in some cases, hard feelings.
The Curio bar is now temporarily closed. Shelves once full of spirits and mixers sit as empty as a frat house liquor cabinet after rush week; the long tables and stools have no drinkers to fill them. Directly across from the bar are the empty glass cases of the Butchers at RiNo, which once stored large cuts of beef, pork and chicken that customers could either order sandwiches made from on-site or take home to cook themselves.
And the long counter at High Point Creamery, occupying the space connecting the Crema coffee shop to Izzio Bakery, now lies bare, with exposed wires and broken drywall as the only evidence of its former occupant.
While there’s still plenty of activity at the other food stalls that call Denver Central Market home, all this begs the question: What the hell is going on? The food-hall’s management says it’s just part of the natural cycle of concepts entering and exiting as leases expire. Vendors, however, say they’re being pushed out.
“Changes in tenants are pretty typical for a Market/Food Hall and we’ve had very little over the past ten years,” reads a statement from Denver Central Market, delivered through a spokesperson, who notes that the exiting businesses were on 10-year leases that had expired. “But we are excited for what’s to come. News to follow.”
Vendors, however, tell a different story, accusing Denver Central Market owner Ken Wolf of pushing them out and generally making them feel unwelcome during their time at the space.
“After a decade of building High Point Creamery at Denver Central Market, we weren’t given a meaningful opportunity to continue operating there,” says High Point Creamery founder and CEO Erika Thomas. “Ken Wolf chose not to renew our lease and instead gave the space to Etai Barron of Izzio.”
Neither Denver Central Market nor representatives of Izzio have confirmed that Etai Barron is taking the space. But Thomas isn’t the only vendor to complain.
“I’d like to thank all my customers, employees, vendors, friends and family for helping Butchers at RiNo operate and almost flourish,” writes Butchers at RiNo owner and general manager Brent Ratliff. “I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this business that hopefully brought immense joy. It’s unfortunate property management didn’t make us feel welcome when we began, nor when we closed. Best of luck to everyone.”
Among the various allegations of heavy-handed management are instances of DCM ownership dictating the name and branding of new businesses entering the space, and even pushing back on products they chose to sell. Tenants have also cited confusing and expensive facility fees that all vendors must pay in addition to rent for shared services, such as table busing, security and maintenance services that they claim proved inadequate. Saying they fear legal action, some of the vendors who share these complaints request anonymity.
They have more specific concerns, too. On May 29, for instance, the building was temporarily closed to address an issue with the water, which vendors say was regularly not hot enough to pass health inspections, or was too low in pressure to be useful. According to city records, three in-progress Denver Department of Public Health & Environment complaints were filed against the facility May 28-29, but it is unclear if those are directly related to water problems.
According to sources, fingerpointing between DCM owner Wolf and the building’s owner, Eden Ventures, has turned this and other facility issues into a game of endless hot potato, leaving problems unresolved.
Wolf and chef Jeff Osaka — who operated the Sushi-Rama franchise in Denver, among other concepts — opened DCM in 2016 to great fanfare and customer traffic, filling a void in the then-nascent RiNo neighborhood. In 2019, Wolf sold the building occupied by Denver Central Market, along with other properties along the block, to Eden Ventures for a reported $55 million. Soon after the sale, the relationship between Wolf and Eden Ventures soured, with Wolf suing the new owners over lease-extension terms and, at one point posting signs at the food hall forbidding Eden employees from entering.
While Eden Ventures owns the building, Wolf still leases the space, and in turn leases the individual food and retail stalls to vendors. Of the 11 original vendors from a decade ago, only three are left: Izzio, Crema and Green Seed Market. Most of the concepts that have entered DCM since — including Tammen’s Fish Market, Lunchboxx, Vero, and Temper Chocolates and Confections — are companies in which Wolf has an ownership stake.
DCM management is rumored to be taking over the Curio bar space, which could reopen as soon as next week, and the Butcher in RiNo space also reportedly has an interested buyer. And whether or not Izzio replaces High Point Creamery, the owner of that venture is relieved to move on.
“Fortunately, High Point was never defined by a single location,” says Thomas. “Today we operate five locations, including our newest shop at McGregor Square. We’ve found fantastic partners who value what we bring to the table, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.”
Denver Central Market is located at 2669 Larimer Street and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit denvercentralmarket.com.
Denver, CO
Defensive lineman Jordan Miller has a tough battle to make the Broncos’ final 53-man roster
As the Denver Broncos prepare for the 2026 season, they have a lot of positives going for the franchise. One of them would be their defensive line. Once a position group with a lot of questions marks, it has ascended to one of the best units in the National Football League over the past few seasons.
The departure of John Franklin-Myers in free agency may have an impact on the group’s performance for the upcoming gridiron campaign. Though the Broncos are hoping a combination of young players they have drafted over the past several seasons can offset the loss of Franklin-Myers.
One player hoping to make the squad is defensive lineman Jordan Miller. At the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos signed Southern Methodist standout and gave him one of the biggest signing bonuses from that cycle. For the past two seasons, Miller has been a practice squad player for the Broncos. After two years learning the ropes, is Miller finally ready to earn a spot on Denver’s final 53-man roster? Let’s discuss.
Age: 26 | Experience: 2 | College: SMU (via Miami) | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 307 pounds
Arm Length: 33-3/8” | Bench: 27 reps | 40-Yard Dash: 5.18 seconds
Jordan Miller’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos
Several years ago, I highlighted Miller’s strengths in our 2024 roster review series. His strength and size at the point of attack are enticing. Additionally, he boasts a tremendous wingspan on the interior which routinely gave opposing offensive linemen in his collegiate career fits.
The physical traits Miller has are certainly promising. However, entering his third year with the Broncos, he faces steep competition in order to make the final 53-man roster. That’s no fault of his own—it’s just the reality of the situation—Denver’s defensive line is stacked.
I believe the franchise will keep six defensive lineman in the rotation once again this season. Having six players in their trenches will help keep the rotation fresh and give them a shot to be at their best. Zach Allen, Sai’vion Jones, Tyler Onyedim, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, and Eyioma Uwazurike appear to be the favorites set to make the squad. With that in mind, it is hard to see a viable path for Miller to make the squad.
Given the aforementioned, it seems like Miller will once again be a practice squad candidate for the Broncos. In the event that something were to happen to Jones or Roach, I could see Miller getting called up to the active roster to help handle spot duty reps on the interior of Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s defensive front.
DENVER — A lieutenant with Berthoud Fire who was injured after he was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver in Denver last month is making progress, according to a Tuesday update.
The wrong-way driver, identified as 25-year-old Kevem Dos Santos, was killed in the May 17 crash inside the barrier-separated HOV lanes on Interstate 25.
Ken Bradley, the Berthoud Fire lieutenant, was traveling to work when the crash occurred. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
The crash left Bradley with multiple fractures in both legs, fractures to his left arm, a dislocated right shoulder, several broken ribs, and a collapsed lung.
Bradley’s family said he is now able to get in and out of his wheelchair on his own. But he faces additional surgeries this week to reconstruct his ankles and feet.
His family thanked the more than 800 donors who have contributed $85,000 to his GoFundMe and said he remains in good spirits.
Police have not said how Dos Santos managed to access the gate-controlled HOV lanes, leaving many questions unanswered.
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