City Cast Denver

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Mayor Mike vs. ICE, 10,000 Missing Restaurant Jobs, and 303 Day! Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order last week that, among other things, bans immigration officials from any city property and requires Denver police to intervene if federal agents are compromising the safety of citizens. Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig into how this order could play out. Then, a new report on the “structural contraction” of the restaurant industry is sparking a new round of debate about Denver’s tipped minimum wage. Plus, listeners decry the mayor’s use of “Trumpian” in our interview with Johnston last week.

What do you think about Denver possibly lowering the tipped minimum wage? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

Learn more about the sponsors of this March 3rd episode:

Multipass
Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off

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Your Guide to March 2026 in Denver Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

March is historically the snowiest month here in the Mile High City, but after the last few weeks of historically high winter temps, who knows what to expect! What we do know is how to make the most of this month — snow or not. Comedian and returning guest JD Lopez joins City Cast’s Adrian González and Paul Karolyi to share insider recommendations for the best things to do, experience, eat, and drink this month. We’re talking about a overlooked museum, an underrated comedy show, and where to find the most colorful paleta carts. Plus, some bonus recs for 303 Day tomorrow.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate 303 Day? We want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail or send us a text with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show tomorrow: 720-500-5418.

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Denver community.

For even more tips on how to make the most of December in Denver, check out our newsletter Hey Denver’s take on what to do this month.

If you enjoyed today's sponsored interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here.

We’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more membership.citycast.fm about how to become a member of City Cast Denver.

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here citycast.fm/advertise.

Got questions or comments about this episode? You can reach us at denver@citycast.fm

'Your City Could Be Better': What Denver Needs To Know About Pittsburgh's Plan To Fix Downtown Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

A lot of cities, including Denver, are trying to figure out how best to revitalize downtown. It's an issue that's especially top of mind for Pittsburgh, who is hosting the NFL Draft in April. To solve the problem of vacant properties and empty storefronts, the city is trying out a new rent abatement program. So, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Pittsburgh podcast host Megan Harris about why their downtown emptied out, whether this program will bring new businesses downtown for the long-term, and other revitalization plans that are in the works.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

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Will Denver Dump Data Centers? Plus, Suburban Shoplifting Hysteria and a QuikTrip Bait and Switch Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

After bubbling up over the last few months, the debate over data centers in Denver boiled over this week. Mayor Mike Johnston imposed a moratorium on new ones being built, then a community meeting erupted in chants to halt construction on one going up in Elyria-Swansea. Our green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval was at the town hall, and she joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to get into it — plus, Douglas County has a new retail theft measure that could lead to fines for businesses that don’t report shoplifting and, as always, our wins and fails of the week.

Paul mentioned Greeley’s big arena vote and Humane Colorado. Bree talked about Blucifer’s First Rodeo. Justine discussed the Westernaires dropping Native American dancing and the Garfield County sheriff’s comments about Rep. Elizabeth Velasco.

What do you think about data centers being build in Denver? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

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Mayor Mike Johnston on His Data Center Moratorium, Dumping Flock, and His ‘Trumpian’ Critics Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

A moratorium on new data centers. A replacement for Flock surveillance cameras. A reversal in the Alameda Ave. safety plan debate. These are all big issues in the city right now that Mayor Mike Johnston has recently seemed to change his mind about. So, what gives? Johnston sits down with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to explain these big recent shifts — plus, what he thinks about one of his big campaign donors showing up in the Epstein Files and a listener question about Denver Public Schools.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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Is Downtown Cool Yet? Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Could downtown’s narrative finally be changing? From buying up the Pavilions to renovating Skyline Park, the city has been putting big money and energy toward making Denver’s urban core appealing again. Developers are following suit — real estate investor Asher Luzzatto recently announced plans to spend $300 million on renovating a whole city block, including the conversion of two aging office buildings into new housing, childcare facilities, commercial space, and more. So, what else is missing? We’re revisiting a classic episode from two years ago when we threw out our biggest, craziest ideas to bring life back downtown to see if city leaders took any notes.

Bree mentioned the Cinderella City Project, pencil smokestack art, and Lawrence Halprin’s original Skyline Park design. She also talked about our episode on the likelihood of changing downtown’s empty office buildings into housing.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

How do you think downtown has been feeling lately? Revitalized and cool again? Still not quite back? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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

The Governor’s Race Is Heating Up! Housing, Transit Take Center Stage in Latest Bennet/Weiser Face-Off Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

With the primaries just around the corner in June, Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser are hitting the gubernatorial campaign trail hard. This past weekend, the two leading Democratic candidates joined a forum — put on by Greater Denver Transit, the Denver Bicycle Lobby, and YIMBY Denver — to spar over their positions on everything from Peña Boulevard and rental assistance to allowing apartment buildings to ban dogs. Producer Paul Karolyi was there, and he sits down with host Bree Davies to discuss what he observed from Weiser and Bennet and how the housing and transit crowd reacted.

Paul mentioned this new Denver Post report that DIA officials have “broadened their approach” to their work addressing traffic congestion on Peña Boulevard and will now consider increasing public transit service. Check out our past interviews with AG Weiser and Senator Bennet.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think about Weiser and Bennet? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 24th episode:

Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off

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

Beau Jo’s Owner Chip Bair on the Real Story of ‘Colorado Style Pizza’ Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Beau Jo’s is a bona fide Colorado institution, but the full origin story of “Colorado Style Pizza” has not been told until today. Producer Paul Karolyi has been obsessed with Beau Jo’s since moving here in 2015 and seeing Denverites put honey on their pizza crust. Finally, he completed a multi-year investigation of the honey-crust phenomenon and the true meaning of “Colorado Style Pizza” for the James Beard Award-winning podcast The Sporkful, culminating in an interview with Beau Jo’s owner Chip Bair. Today on the podcast, we are presenting that interview in its entirety.

Check out that episode of The Sporkful!

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think about Beau Jo’s and Colorado Style Pizza? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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

‘Your City Could Be Better’: What Denver Needs To Know about Madison's Data Centers Fight Feb 22, 2026

Show notes

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, including Denverites. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI revolution. But some cities are stemming the tide, including Madison, Wisconsin, who recently passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. City Cast CEO David Plotz feels strongly that this was the wrong choice! He’s sitting down with City Cast Madison podcast host Bianca Martin to weigh the pros and cons of data centers, and debate the economic, ethical, and ecological considerations at the heart of this debate. Plus, David and Bianca share must-know tips for making it in Madison and DC.

We also mentioned this City Cast Madison episode.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Why Palantir Dumped Denver, Yet Another New Plan for Alameda Ave., and Leven Supply Seized Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

AI tech giant Palantir moved its HQ from Denver to Miami this week, notifying the world via a single tweet. Was this abrupt relocation in response to ongoing protests outside its Denver office or Colorado’s first-in-the-nation AI bill or something else entirely? Political commentator Adrian Felix joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to dig into the controversial company’s departure, plus the uncertain future of Leven Supply after being seized for unpaid taxes, and our wins and fails of the week.

What do you think about Palantir leaving town? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Adrian talked about the proposal to legalize prostitution, which we discussed earlier this week on the pod. Bree discussed the hand painted sign stolen from Duke’s Good Sandwiches and Burgers and the local sign painters who created it. Paul mentioned RTD moving forward with its renaming of Civic Center Station despite pushback, Chad McWhinney and Kimbal Musk in the Epstein Files, and the Poetic Kinetics art installation coming to downtown this summer.

For more on Scott Bottoms’ allegation of a “pedophile ring” at the Capitol, Mandy Connell pressed him on it on KOA yesterday.

After we recorded this episode, we heard back from AG Phil Weiser’s office about Palantir and CO’s AI law. His spokesperson says that they have not had any conversations with Palantir and that Weiser’s position on the AI law remains unchanged since the CU Denver Artificial Intelligence Symposium last fall, when he said his office was going to “hold off on any rule making process to implement the law until after the 2026 legislative session concludes and the General Assembly has an opportunity to make substantive changes to the AI law. This approach will allow us to create the initial rules from a place of more certainty and stability in the underlying law as well as enable us to best use and conserve our limited law enforcement resources.”

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver

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

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