City Cast Denver

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The Park Hill Golf Course Fight is Back On! Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

For almost 100 years, the Park Hill neighborhood has featured an 18-hole golf course. But then a major developer, Westside Investment Partners, bought the land and put forth ambitious plans to redevelop the site into a walkable new community and park. The purchase sparked a neighborhood fight that’s escalated into a city-wide debate over housing, growth, and change. And if City Council approves Westside’s rezoning request tonight, Denver voters will decide on the defunct golf course’s future on April 4. It’s a complicated and controversial situation, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are sharing some clips from past interviews and catching you up on the saga of the Park Hill Golf Course.

Check out our past coverage of the Park Hill Golf Course fight:

If you want to learn more about Westside Investment Partners’ vision for the Park Hill Golf Course, here’s a link to their website.

Friend of the show Conor McCormick-Cavanagh reported more details about the 303 ArtWay Heritage Trail for Westword.

Bree mentioned the Beast Fingers Climbing Gym in Globeville needing support, which you can do on their website. Read the full saga of the gym in this Westword piece from Catie Cheshire.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

We want to hear about your moments of joy in Denver! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your story on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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Should Denver Dump Gas Stoves? Plus, Our Nerdy Governor and Tacos! Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

It’s Friday and that means we’re looking back at the local stories that mattered this week. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by returning fave Sam Brasch of Colorado Public Radio. We discuss the hot topic of gas stoves and how Colorado got tangled up in what at first seemed to be a very Florida mess. Plus, our resident nerd Paul runs a game of “Did Governor Polis Actually Say That?” as Sam and Bree try to guess which geeky pop culture references came out of the governor’s mouth. As always, newsletter editor Adrian González joins the crew to share some fun things to do this weekend around the Mile High.

Don’t forget to send us your street taco recs! Text or leave us a voicemail with your favorite spot, your name and neighborhood at 720-500-5418.

Paul mentioned the alleged rat poisoning at a local Taco Bell.

Learn more about the Denver climate rebates for electrification on the city’s website.

Read guest Sam Brasch’s reporting on the Healthy Homes Program over at Denverite.

Looking for more ideas for your weekend plans? Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866, or click here.

We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver

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How to Buy a Home Podcast

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Can a Total Rebrand Save This Iconic Colorado Beer? Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Once upon a time, New Belgium Brewing ruled the craft brew scene in Colorado, and Fat Tire was its flagship beer. When the Fort Collins–based brewmasters debuted their signature amber ale in 1991, it inspired imitators, dominated shelves, and satisfied beer lovers for decades… until it didn’t. This week, New Belgium announced they were giving Fat Tire a whole new look and taste. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Denver Post editor and unofficial Colorado Beer Man Jonathan Shikes about what it means for an old favorite to be reformulated, repackaged, and re-introduced to a new generation of craft beer drinkers

Denver Post’s cannabis and beer reporter Tiney Ricciardi wrote about the big changes at New Belgium earlier this week.

And Jonathan mentioned Axios reporter John Frank’s assessment of the new Fat Tire.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

How to Buy a Home Podcast

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A Bold Plan to Tackle Homelessness, Snowplow Politics, and More Mayoral Madness Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Mayoral hopefuls are rolling out their strategies to tackle public safety and homelessness, and others have set social media abuzz with plans for more snow plowing — in other words, the race is on! But there’s still a crucial hurdle to clear before the dozens of aspiring leaders make the ballot: 300 verified, unique signatures from registered Denver voters. With that deadline coming up this Thursday, some candidates may not end up running after all. Today on the show, host Bree Davies chats with Westword editor in-chief Patty Calhoun about who’s saying what, whose ambitious plans she’s watching, and the historic precedent for snowplows swaying mayoral elections.

Bree mentioned Kelly Brough’s comments on sweeps (9News) and the comments from one of her supporters (Denverite).

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

How to Buy a Home podcast

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Why the Stock Show Matters to This Girl and Her Goat Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

The National Western Stock Show has been an annual attraction in Denver since 1906, bringing cowboys, cowgirls, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business titans here to buy, sell, show, and celebrate all things agriculture. But the big question is, how relevant is this famous show to an evolving modern city like Denver today? We wanted to understand what it meant to one Arvada family, so today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi tagged along with the Leathermans on a trip to the National Western Complex to meet their goat farmer daughter and watch her (and her goat) in the junior market goat show.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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Snow Plowing Problems, A Jaywalking Debate, and Brutalism's Last Champion Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

It’s Friday! And we’re looking back at the news of the week with one of our favorite returning guests — podcaster extraordinaire and weed expert Ann Marie Awad. She joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig deep into two debates over the state of our streets. Does Denver suck at plowing snow? And should we decriminalize jaywalking? Plus, Bree has a few words of remembrance for the great architecture critic Mary Voelz Chandler who passed this week, and as usual, we’ll help you pick some cool stuff to do this weekend.

We mentioned Michael Paglia’s remembrance of Mary Voelz Chandler for Westword (and her own excellent blog, Chandler in Denver, and her 2021 appearance on our show), Jim Charlier’s epic twitter thread on plowing policy, and this Denverite article on the plowing problem: Is Denver Bad at Snow Plowing?

For more cool event recs and news from around the city, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

Westwood Academy

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We reached out to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure for comments on the plowing situation. Here are their responses, edited for length:

CCD: Do you know if DOTI has any plans to re-assess its snow removal strategy? If so, how does the changing climate factor into those plans?

The storm we received on December 29 was a particularly challenging storm event in that it was a wet, heavy, spring-like snow that hit during the coldest time of year. The snow also fell at very fast rate (1 to 3 inches an hour). Conditions on the main streets improved with subsequent passes by the plows. It was unusual for us to have a spring-like storm in December. So, we will be looking at… was this a one-time thing? Or a new trend amid global warming? These are the things that we’ll look at --- any new trends over the course of several seasons and see if we need to adjust. Here is more on that:

we assess our snow program after every snow season, especially as we install more and new kinds of bike infrastructure, to evaluate what kinds of new equipment we might need, and so that we can make a budget ask for it.
we will want to keep main streets a priority to ensure emergency vehicles and people can get where they need to go.
we’re interested in continuous improvement and in discussing snow removal approaches that better support alternative modes of travel during the winter months, and large-scale programmatic changes will require expansions in people and in equipment. COVID put us in budget reduction mode, but as our city recovers, there may be opportunities in upcoming budget cycles to reignite discussions about service level expansions that the administration and elected officials want to fund.

CCD: I saw that the budget for plowing was $3 million in 2019. I can’t seem to find a more current budget. Do you happen to have that figure as well?

We have about $3M in 2023 as well. If we need additional dollars due to an unusually active snow season or a big event at the end of the year, we would ask for a supplemental. Safety comes first.

How Worried Should Denverites Be About the Economy? Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Grocery prices are through the roof, but gas is under $3 a gallon. The housing market in Denver finally seems to be cooling, but mortgage interest rates are high. Governor Polis campaigned for re-election on how well Colorado is doing, but some experts say a recession is looming. So, what gives? What’s going on with Denver’s — and Colorado’s — economy and how should we feel about it in 2023? Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Rich Wobbekind, senior economist at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, about inflation, the job market, and if we should be worried about that recession or not.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

Westwood Academy

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Inside the Effort to Fix Our Trash Problem Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

“Given the city’s strained resources, the expansion of recycling and compost service next year will be a significant burden that might not come with the hoped-for environmental benefits.” Denver’s auditor Tim O’Brien wrote those words back in November about the 2023 rollout of some big changes to our waste removal system. Denverites will soon have both compost and recycling pickup weekly for free — but residents will also be charged by volume for trash service. Plus, voters approved the Waste No More ballot initiative, making it mandatory for all private businesses (including apartment buildings) to offer compost and recycling. We wanted to see for ourselves how the rollout is going, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi took a trip to The Dump, AKA the Denver South Transfer Station on S. Cherry Creek Drive, to talk with Denver’s trash experts.

Vanessa mentioned the waste directory that can help you figure out where to put your waste. You can find that at Denvergov.org/recycle. Bree mentioned the city’s waste information app, which you can find by searching “Denver trash and recycling” in the app store of your choice.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

Westwood Academy

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Polis Backtracks on Migrant Busing, More E-Bike Rebates, and Su Teatro’s Big Win Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

It’s Tuesday and we’re bringing you a midweek roundup of news across the metro area: As migrants and asylum seekers continue to show up in Denver, things get more complicated — we have the latest on Governor Polis’s recent people-moving plan. Plus, another dude jumps in the race for mayor, e-bike rebates are back, and why Su Teatro is burning their mortgage (it’s for a really good reason, we promise!) To round out the show, we help a listener with her burning question: how do adults make friends in Denver?

Paul mentioned this tweet from mayoral candidate and Western wear enthusiast Kelly Brough.

Here are some links to learn more about the stories we mentioned:

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

Westwood Academy

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Can the Broncos Recover From This Dumpster Fire Season? Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

The Denver Broncos opened their 2022-23 season with Mile High expectations. A new ownership group led by deep-pocketed Walmart heirs made a big splash signing superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a $245 million contract, and the new head coach Nathaniel Hackett boasted a championship pedigree (his father Paul Hackett coached Joe Montana to a Super Bowl victory in 1984.) Still, the losses piled up, and our Donkeys ended the season yesterday, far from playoff contention. We invited our sports guy Jake Shapiro of Denver Sports back to explain where the Broncos could go from here, what should be done about Russell Wilson, and what it all means for the long-rumored plans for a new stadium which, depending on if —or where— it gets built could reshape Denver as we know it.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: