City Cast Denver

Mayor Mike Johnston is set to announce which and how many city employees will be laid off in less than a week, and rumors are swirling! Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to speculate about the impacts. Plus, the city’s economic development office just revealed how much the minimum wage will be going up in January, and the city is rolling out a new plan to “support and advance” local restaurants. Will it be enough? Or will we see another push to lower the tipped minimum wage? Plus, Patty responds to listener comments about parking downtown.  We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag. Paul discussed Benzina’s instagram account, CBS Colorado’s coverage of Denver’s new city attorney, the Denver Post’s reporting on Jevon Taylor’s big plan for a new Green Spaces on 16th St., this CPR interview with Mayor Johnston and this Denver Gazette report on the bill for the lawyer he hired to help out with the “sanctuary cities” congressional hearing.  What do you think about the minimum wage going up? 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm If you enjoyed this interview with Kelsey Simpkins from Regional Air Quality Council, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this August 12th episode: Arvada Center Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Rocky Mountain PBS Cozy Earth - use code COZYDENVER for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Sloan’s Lake is fighting for its life. Even the human-made lake's signature event, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, is looking for a new home because the body of water is too shallow and toxic, especially this time of year when the blue-green algae is blooming. So, what would it take to save this historic Mile High gem? Turns out, a lot. Host Bree Davies sits down with Kurt Weaver, executive director of the Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation, to learn more about the massive environmental challenges, the moonshot plan to address them, and why it might cost upwards of $130 million to make the lake clean and safe again.The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is still set for Sept. 6 and 7 in Sloan’s Lake Park this year. Kurt mentioned this upcoming park clean-up and education walk event on August 16, as well as this video of a board member walking out into the middle of the lake.We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag.What do you think about Sloan’s Lake? Do you visit the park often? Who do you think should pay for it to be dredged? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverSupport City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fmLearn more about the sponsors of this August 11th episode: Arvada Center Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Rocky Mountain PBS Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

City Council voted to eliminate parking minimums this week — could this open the door for cheaper housing or just cause more traffic? Then, The Hornet announced it was closing after nearly 30 years on South Broadway. Was it rising rents, restaurant operation costs, or something else? At the same time, neighborhood businesses and residents will soon consider a special tax to pay for things like graffiti removal and private security in the hopes of helping South Broadway thrive. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to dig into these stories plus wins and fails of the week.  Paul mentioned Donald Shoup’s work and his book, “The High Cost of Free Parking,” the new east security checkpoint at DIA, and the Colorado GOP’s gross group chat about a colleague’s attire. Bree discussed the time Big Lots left South Broadway, Tommy’s Thai’s GoFundMe, and Kyle Harris’s reporting on Broadway for Denverite, which he discussed on our podcast. Justine talked about the gluten-free farmers market and the state’s decision to ban the use of SNAP benefits to buy pop. What do you think about parking in Denver? Do we have too much or too little? 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Watch the Friday show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this August 8th episode: Regional Air Quality Council Multipass Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

We finally know which pricey infrastructure projects Denver voters will be deciding on this November, because earlier this week City Council approved the $950 million Vibrant Denver bond package. Did every neighborhood and community group get what they wanted? We talked about the bond a lot over the last few weeks and listeners, especially transit advocates, had thoughts as well — so host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love are reaching into the mail bag. They discuss your takes on bike lanes, back-to-office mandates, Mexican restaurants and issues that could dominate the 2026 elections. Bree mentioned this WHYY article about Philly’s return-to-office mandate last year.  What do you think? We always 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver 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 episode: Regional Air Quality Council Multipass Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Maybe it’s because the best zombie movie in years is still in theaters. Maybe it’s the fact that we just got through a very real global pandemic. Maybe it’s because Westword just found a study ranking MLB stadiums as refuges from zombie attacks. But fears of the walking dead are looming over Denver right now. So if there really was an outbreak of the Rage virus or some other zombification plague here in the Mile High, what’s your plan? Westword’s Catie Cheshire reported on that MLB stadium study, and she returns to the show with producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love to swap some disaster prep research and plot out our survival, from the first 24 hours to the best long-term spot to rebuild society.  Olivia talked about Ark Tactical in Lakewood. Paul discussed nuclear missile silos.  Who brought the best survival plan — Catie, Olivia or Paul? We want to know who you’d team up with? Or are you going it alone somewhere else entirely? 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver 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 August 6th episode: Regional Air Quality Council Multipass Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

The Center on Colfax recently announced they would no longer be accepting donations from Chevron, as long as the oil and gas giant was providing fuel to Israel. Meanwhile, Colorado’s senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper voted against a measure that would have stopped some arms shipments to Israel. So are Denverites’ opinions shifting when it comes to the war on Gaza? Then, internet provocateurs Do Better Denver have been exposed — but do the identities behind the account matter in the bigger picture? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi discuss these stories and more news of the week.  Paul talked congressional candidate Melat Kiros, who is challenging Diana DeGette to represent Denver, and her history of speaking out on Gaza.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver 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 Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council Multipass Cozy Earth - use code COZYDENVER for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

With office vacancy rates still high and and business owners clamoring for help, one of Mayor Mike Johnston’s biggest priorities is “revitalizing” downtown. Last November voters gave his efforts a big boost by expanding the Downtown Development Authority, giving him approximately $570 million to invest in projects that might give the area a spark. Rumors about the application process had been circulating until last week, when the mayor revealed 10 projects that will get the first $100 million. Westword editor Patty Calhoun has been following the DDA process, and she joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dissect the list and talk about the notable omissions.  Patty mentioned the raves planned at Civic Center Park and the plans for Civic Center’s “Next 100” redevelopment project.  Paul talked about Westword’s coverage of the Denver Immersive Repertory Theater and our interview with Mayor Mike Johnston last week.  What do you think about the mayor’s work to revitalize downtown? Are these the projects you were hoping to see funded? 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver 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 August 4th episode: Regional Air Quality Council Multipass Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Will the actual person — or people — behind @DoBetterDNVR finally be revealed? The account known for posting photos of unhoused people has grown and made a lot of noise online this week over concerns its contributors’ identities could be exposed by the Denver Post. Then, cyclists claimed victory when two traffic calming projects were added back into the Vibrant Denver bond proposal. But are cars still winning the fight for funding and space overall? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by politics contributor Deep Singh Badhesha to dig into these stories, plus our wins and fails of the week. Bree mentioned the latest twist in the El Rancho/QuikTrip saga in Evergreen and the plans for an American Indian Cultural Center. Paul talked about Avalanche jersey rumors, QR code scammers, and his recent appearance on the Off the Clock podcast with Jon Eks. Deep talked about the state legislature’s imminent special session and his hope for a state full of big blue animals.  What do you think about Do Better Denver’s identity being revealed? Is it doxxing or legitimate journalism? 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 Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this August 1st episode: Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

The summer heat won’t slow us down — from the best bird watching at Barr Lake to our fave iced chai and cookie combo at Tablón Coffee Roasters, we’ve rounded up the best way to enjoy August in the Mile High City. 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 August in Denver, we’ll have even more tips and suggestions in our newsletter Hey Denver later this week.  If you enjoyed today's interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here. We’re also powered by our neighbors, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about becoming a City Cast Denver Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm! 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. 

Be honest, you know you have one — a habit or guilty pleasure that as a proud Coloradan you know you shouldn’t indulge. When we first put out the call to hear listeners’ “toxic Colorado traits” earlier this year, we were overwhelmed with confessions so hilarious (and honest) that we had to share our own. It’s time to go deep on Mile High “obnoxious lore.” So we are revisiting that conversation with host Bree Davies and two of our favorite regular guests, stand-up comedian Kate MacLachlan and our politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval.  What’s you toxic Colorado trait? You’ve heard ours and some great ones from other listeners, so it’s your turn to confess! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 This episode first aired on February 24, 2025.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise