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Summer camp woes worsen as Denver Parks & Rec cuts Summer in the Parks

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Summer camp woes worsen as Denver Parks & Rec cuts Summer in the Parks


The city says that they’re reconfiguring summer activities, but it’s unclear what shape the new activities will take.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

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Denver’s working parents have a tough time figuring out what to do with their kids in the summer. And many families are worried this year could be extra rough.

Last week, Denver Parks and Recreation announced it has canceled its summer camp, Summer in the Parks, leaving working parents scrambling.

On Friday, Mayor Mike Johnston announced cuts to both the Department of Motor Vehicles and Parks and Recreation to make up for a budget shortfall and to help fund city support for new immigrants, many of whom are facing homelessness and are not allowed to work.

But the new immigrant response is not why Summer in the Parks has been axed, according to the city

“The shift in summer program offerings would have happened regardless of today’s budget announcement,” explained Yolanda Quesada, a spokesperson for Parks and Recreation, on Friday.

Here’s how Parks and Recreation explained the decision to parents:

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“The Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) program Summer in the Parks will not be offered this summer,” said Quesada. “We are restructuring summer offerings and will supplement programs at various recreation centers throughout the summer to allow us to reach more youth.”

Some parents who were planning on sending their kids to Summer in the Parks and who missed the deadline for other camps are feeling uncertain about what to do next or how they will afford it.

“Denver has a huge problem with summer camps,” said Denver parent Katie Harper

Spots in the more affordable programs, like those at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts or Denver Museum of Nature and Science, are highly coveted. Parents get in line the morning camps open up, and often get stuck on waiting lists with as many as 1,000 kids.

Private camps can cost upwards of $600. Parents with multiple children can spend thousands keeping their kids occupied over the summer.

But Summer in the Park has been a welcome deviation from high prices and competitive spots.

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“It is the most affordable local camp in all of the Denver area,” said Harper. “It’s close to where I live. It’s also a great camp.”

Harper is planning to send her kids to the slightly pricier YMCA Metro Denver summer camps.

“We are a dual-income working family and need care for our kids and even we struggle to afford [what] can be upwards of $4,000 per month,” she said.

So what is Parks and Recreation’s big plan for the summer?

“Summer activities are being reconfigured to have a greater reach and increase services for youth who visit our centers across the system,” Quesada said.

What that looks like is uncertain.

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“Summer activities are not yet determined,” Quesada continued. “Recreation staff is currently working to develop plans for summer activities.”

A few things are known.

“Daytime center hours during the summer are being prioritized to ensure that there are options for youth and families systemwide,” she wrote. “Recreation centers and MY Denver programs are free for all youth who have a MY Denver Card.”



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Denver, CO

Family: Injured firefighter improving after deadly wrong‑way crash on I‑25 in Denver

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Family: Injured firefighter improving after deadly wrong‑way crash on I‑25 in Denver


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.

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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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Denver City Council approves $15.5 million tax break for Rossonian Hotel development

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Denver City Council approves .5 million tax break for Rossonian Hotel development


Denver will reimburse developers working on reviving the Rossonian Hotel up to $15.5 million in sales and property taxes after the council approved the urban development proposal during its meeting Monday.

The decision comes after Denver Urban Renewal Authority found that the site was “blighted,” meaning there are unsafe living or working conditions and environmental contamination.

DURA recommended the city allow “tax increment financing,” or TIF, to remediate those problems and get the project off the ground.

“This tax increment financing is one of the final pieces that makes the Rossonian possible. Without it, this project does not happen,” said Paul Books, one of the owners of the building. “But with it, we are working through the last remaining steps to break ground this summer.”

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The project, in the Five Points neighborhood, is part of the Welton Corridor Urban Redevelopment Plan. The six-parcel property is in the namesake intersection of Welton, 27th and Washington streets.

The building, once called the Baxter Hotel, was a popular event space for jazz performances between the 1930s and 1950s. Performers such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday took the stage there. It is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The building has been vacant since the 1990s.

Palisade Partners, who purchased the property in 2017, plan to build 126 hotel rooms, a restaurant and an event space. They will also construct a new 8-story building between the Rossonian and the Hooper building as part of the redevelopment.

“We’ve concluded that the project does require assistance in order for it to be delivered as it has been contemplated,” said Bill Pruter, executive director of DURA.

Tax-increment financing, which is essentially a tax break or subsidy, allows developers to freeze how much is paid in property or sales taxes at a base level for up to 25 years, and then reinvest what would be paid above that back into certain elements of their projects.

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For this project, the developers will be able to reinvest up to $15.5 million — which would otherwise go to the city’s bank account — into their project.

The city will reimburse the tax dollars for specific project costs mostly related to rehabilitation of the building. That includes up to $6.7 million on the plumbing and HVAC work in the new building and up to $2.3 million on the visible structure of the Rossonian Hotel.



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Broncos’ Salary Cap Picture Just Got a Lot Better

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Broncos’ Salary Cap Picture Just Got a Lot Better


A roster move the Denver Broncos made back in March to clear cap space has come to fruition, as linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s post-June 1 designation release has taken effect.

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As it turns out, the Broncos did gain more cap space with the move. While it appeared that the Greenlaw release had already been accounted for on sites such as Over The Cap, it actually had not.

Broncos’ Cap Space Grows

Instead, it turns out the $18.8 million in cap space the Broncos had prior to June 1 did not account for Greenlaw’s release. The Broncos now have more cap space than before, with $25.7 million available with his release in effect.

This means the Broncos have less need to cut players simply to create cap space. They can afford to keep the players they have on the roster until training camp starts, then make roster decisions based on what happens in the preseason.

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The additional cap space will also help with accommodating any extensions the Broncos decide to give to players with expiring contracts. Players such as wide receiver/returner Marvin Mims Jr. and cornerbacks Ja’Quan McMillan and Riley Moss are among the younger players who might be in line for extensions, depending on how the Broncos value them and what they are seeking in a new deal.

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Not to mention veterans, like backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham and left guard Ben Powers, both of whom are entering a contract year.

Potential for More Cap Carryover

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Denver Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton. | Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

The cap space also helps with the potential for more salary-cap carryover heading into 2027. Right now, the Broncos are projected to have just $2 million in cap space, but that does not account for carryover.

If the Broncos are wise with how they manage the cap in the coming months, they could carry over a significant amount of cap space into 2027. That alone will help alleviate the team’s cap situation next year.

Some might wonder whether the Broncos try to make another big move before training camp, but doing so would mean giving up cap space or draft capital that could be useful when it comes to improving the roster in 2027. We can’t rule out a trade, of course, but the added cap space doesn’t guarantee a trade is coming.

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But the good news is the Broncos will be in a better cap position than before. We’ll see what moves come next and how that impacts cap space.

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