Denver, CO
Troubled property owner CBZ Management has history of citations across Denver metro properties
DENVER — A troubled property management company that claimed Venezuelan gang activity prevented them from caring for their Aurora properties has a history of citations at their other Denver metro properties.
For months, several Aurora apartment complexes have been in the national spotlight following allegations that they had been “taken over” by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. CBZ Management, which owns the impacted complexes, has perpetuated those claims.
CBZ Management claims gang members prevented them from making repairs at their Aurora properties, saying it was too dangerous for their employees to be on site.
“Because we care for the safety of our tenants, and other members of the community, what we will say is, that the issue of Tren de Aragua taking over properties and communities in Aurora means that we are not able to be present on this property, or any of our other properties in similar situations, also being impacted by gang presence,” an investor for the properties said in a statement to Denver7 in August. “It is irresponsible to categorize this act of organized terror as the result of code violations when it is understood by several local and federal agencies that this gang has overtaken several apartment complexes in the area.”
However, code enforcement and inspection records dating back to 2020 show numerous violations prior to an influx of Venezuelan immigrants in the Denver metro, including mice infestations, ceiling damage, and dozens of unlawful vehicles parked in the parking lot. Aurora city officials say property owners failed to address and resolve most of these issues.
Watch our previous coverage in the video player below:
Aurora police deem two apartment complexes ‘criminal nuisances,’ threaten closure
CBZ owns nine properties in the Denver metro area — four in Aurora, three in Denver and two in Edgewater:
- The Jewell in Denver
- William Penn in Denver
- Courtyard on Vine in Denver
- Edge of Lowry in Aurora
- Aspen Grove in Aurora
- 200 Columbia in Aurora
- Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora
- Squire Apartment in Edgewater
- Duchess Apartments in Edgewater
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has accused CBZ Management of being “slumlords.” The City of Aurora closed its Aspen Grove property in August due to numerous code violations. Last month, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain deemed the Edge of Lowry and 200 Columbia properties “criminal nuisances” and threatened closure if violations were not addressed.
Tenants at the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora have called on the property owners and the city to address their poor living conditions.
“I ask you to please listen to us. Listen to our stories as renters. Listen to those of us who are impacted,” said Whispering Pines tenant Isamar Vilacha during a press conference. “Listen to us. We are responsible people and we want a solution.”
Inspection records show Whispering Pines tenants have dealt with issues like busted doorways and crumbling balconies for some time. The property has been cited for having broken heaters and scattered trash.
In separate letters to the Edge of Lowry and 200 Columbia, Chief Chamberlain noted an “extensive criminal call history” and a lack of property management presence. Between the two properties, Chamberlain noted 51 calls for service between Sept. 4, 2023 and Aug. 19.
Problems at CBZ Management properties seem to extend beyond the city of Aurora.
Danica Lee, director of the public health investigations division with Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), said her team has spent years investigating complaints filed at CBZ Management’s three Denver properties — The Jewell, William Penn and Courtyard on Vine.
“With CBZ Management, we have quite a few violations, including outstanding violations,” Lee said.
City of Aurora
DDPHE investigated 13 complaints that were filed against The Jewell in 2023. Three citations were issued, and the property owner was fined a total of $1,729. So far this year, DDPHE has investigated seven complaints and issued one citation with a fine of $250. The department confirmed there is one active case at The Jewell related to “unsafe living conditions.”
“We’ve seen that the management company and the ownership do not follow through on correcting issues as quickly as they should,” Lee said. “They also aren’t as proactive in maintaining the property in good condition.”
At the Courtyard on Vine, DDPHE investigated eight complaints and issued two citations, resulting in a fine total of $750.
The department has investigated three complaints at the Courtyard on Vine so far this year. DDPHE said inspections documented mold, a lack of hot water and sanitation concerns.
“We’ve gone out there, we found violations. We’ve issued orders to correct, and those orders are still outstanding,” Lee said.
City of Aurora
In 2023, DDPHE investigated five complaints at CBZ Management’s third Denver property, William Penn. One case remains active, according to the department.
So far this year, the department has investigated seven complaints at the property, and two cases remain active. The cases involve trash, water intrusion, pests and an unsecured door, according to DDPHE. Those violations have yet to be addressed.
DDPHE has issued 12 citations to the William Penn property so far this year, totaling $44,249 in fines.
“When we get to this level of fines, certainly it raises red flags for us, and we are trying to find ways of increasing the pressure,” said Lee.
None of the fines at the three Denver properties have been paid, and most have been sent to collections, according to DDPHE. Since the fines at William Penn are so high, the City of Denver is considering going a step further.
“We do use liens if there are a number of fines that remain unpaid past their due date,” Lee said. “That is the case here, and it’s just one more tool that we have to hopefully motivate property ownership and property managers to correct violations quickly.”
Denver7
The city can file criminal charges against property owners if violations are not addressed.
“In this case, we anticipate there will be criminal charges likely filed,” said Lee. “We’re working with the city attorney’s office to evaluate that.”
William Penn resident Kiara Williams believes more can be done to make the complex better.
“I mean, they could do a way better job because it’s kind of run down in there,” she said. “I think they could do the windows, redo the windows better.”
Though she wants improved living conditions, Williams said her priority is keeping a roof over her head.
Denver7 reached out to CBZ Management for comment regarding its Denver properties but has not heard back as of the publication of this article.
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For most food manufacturers, it makes more financial sense to bake, brew, cook or create their product somewhere where the square footage is a little less expensive, like a business park, and to sell it where the rent – and the foot traffic – is higher.
Kent Beidel, who owns a string of mountain-town ice cream parlors called Sundae, did the opposite when he opened his newest and, by far, his biggest location in downtown Denver.
“We wanted to be right in front of people and hear them say, ‘Oh my god, they make the ice cream right here,’” he explained. “It’s backward … it’s hard. But it’s unique, and it’s really cool.”
Sundae opened in early June in a 5,100-square-foot space that includes a retail shop, a waffle cone-making “theater” where people can watch the staff turn out fresh cones, a pint-mixing classroom and a commercial kitchen – visible to customers on three sides through glass windows – that could one day supply multiple stores around Denver.
Beidel is betting those attributes will help the business stand apart from the competition in Denver, where there are already several big names making and selling scoops in multiple locations.
But that’s not the only gamble he took. Sundae is located on Sixteenth Street, the 44-year-old pedestrian mall that has become both a symbol of the city’s urban decay since the pandemic and a beacon of hope for its future after a $175 million renovation.
“Sixteenth Street is interesting,” said Beidel, who has watched it change over the past year since he first signed his lease at 1600 Glenarm Place. “It’s coming back. It still has a way to go, but we are seeing momentum start to build. Even in the last month, the foot traffic and the feeling downtown has perked up. … We are getting great feedback.”
To help, the Denver Downtown Development Authority — as part of a much larger business incentive plan — loaned Sundae $750,000. “It’s a loan,” he said. “We have to pay it back. … But we couldn’t have done this location without that support.”
Beidel has been in the food business for 22 years. Before ice cream, he was the founder of Loaded Joe’s, a restaurant and coffee shop staple in Vail. But in 2016, he sold Loaded Joe’s and took over two former Marble Slab Creamery locations in Vail and Edwards, rebranding them as Sundae. In 2020, he opened a third shop in Glenwood Springs.
“That was our first chance to build from scratch and decide what it should look like,” he explained, adding that Glenwood, which includes a kitchen, eventually began making ice cream for Sundae’s next two locations in Basalt and Snowmass.
To make the ice cream, Beidel said he employs five pastry chefs to create recipes. So, rather than using cheesecake flavoring, for instance, for cheesecake ice cream, Sundae uses all the same ingredients you would use to make real cheesecake.
The cheesecake, by the way, is among Beidel’s favorite flavors, but Salted Cookies & Cream and Caramelized Banana are two of the most popular with customers. Classic chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are also top sellers – “and always will be,” he added.
Next month, Beidel hopes to open the classroom, where people can learn how to make ice cream and then whip up some of their own flavors to take home. And down the road, he plans to open more locations.
But in the meantime, he’s focused on downtown. “Let’s say Denver does really become vibrant again. We have a great product and a great following in the mountains. So, it’s just a matter of time down here.”
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Denver, CO
Denver Country Club caddie earns full-ride Evans Scholarship, becomes first in family to attend college
DENVER — What started as a summer job has turned into a life-changing opportunity for Denver-area student Vanessa Olivar.
The 18-year-old Denver Country Club caddie has earned the prestigious Evans Scholarship, a full tuition and housing scholarship awarded by the Western Golf Association to caddies who demonstrate strong character, academic achievement, financial need and a strong caddie record.
Watch Bradey King’s story on how Olivar persevered to nab this scholarship in the video below.
Denver Country Club caddie earns full-ride Evans Scholarship
Olivar is one of 15 students from Colorado to receive the scholarship this year and will attend the University of Colorado Boulder this fall.
When she first heard about caddying through her high school’s assistant principal, Olivar said she wasn’t sure it was the right fit.
“I didn’t know anything about the game of golf,” she said. “At first, I was a little doubtful and nervous, but I thought it would be a great summer job. I quickly found out that it was more than just carrying a golfer’s bag.”
Over the past three years, Olivar learned the responsibilities that come with the job, from carrying clubs and providing yardages to building relationships with members and fellow caddies.
“I learned a strong work ethic, and the relationships that I built through caddying have really shaped who I am today,” she said.
Her dedication paid off when she received the news that she had earned the Evans Scholarship.
“I got that flag saying, ‘Congratulations,’ and I was so excited,” Olivar said. “Words couldn’t express how excited my family and I were for this great opportunity that I worked so hard for over three years.”
The scholarship carries even greater significance because Olivar will become the first person in her family to attend college.
“I’m a first-generation college student,” she said. “Coming from immigrant parents, I kind of had to navigate this world by myself.”
Her parents immigrated to the United States when they were 18, and Olivar said their sacrifices inspired her to pursue higher education.
“Being able to tell my parents they don’t have to pay for my college takes that weight off their shoulders, but also mine,” she said.
Western Golf Association officials say Olivar exemplifies the qualities the Evans Scholarship is designed to recognize.
“The scholarship is based upon four principles: Their caddie record, their academic record, their financial need, but really what’s most important is their character,” said Brian Wilkinson, the Western Golf Association Director at Denver Country Club. “Vanessa expresses the great character and leadership that we’re looking for in young women and men.”
At CU Boulder, Olivar plans to major in public health with a minor in business before pursuing dental school.
She said the opportunity has changed the trajectory of her future.
“I knew I wanted to go to college, and I wanted to have a further education,” Olivar said. “I just didn’t know how I was going to do that. I didn’t know caddying was eventually going to change that for me. It’s a scholarship that has changed my life forever.
Denver7
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Bradey King
Denver7’s Bradey King reports on the entire sports landscape in Colorado, including Denver’s pro teams, but is always looking for stories off the field and in the non-professional ranks. If you’d like to get in touch with Bradey, fill out the form below to send her an email.
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