Denver is a step closer to building a list of planned projects for an upcoming bond package.
After months of brainstorming, five subcommittees made up of city leaders and community members have passed along over 220 potential capital projects to a committee that will narrow down the final $800 million package that will go before Denver voters this fall.
Not all 220 projects will be built. There’s not enough money for that: According to a spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, if all the pitches were built, it would cost the city $6 billion.
Of course, the city doesn’t have $6 billion in its coffers. Johnston just announced a $250 million budget deficit. While the city will do layoffs and furloughs to cut spending, capital construction for city amenities and infrastructure could continue if voters choose to approve the upcoming Vibrant Denver bond in November.
The bond proposal was announced earlier this year.
Johnston’s office said the city is almost done paying off the debt it accrued to fund the 2017 and 2021 bonds, making it a good time to take out new loans to pay for more capital construction.
Previous bonds have paid for city recreation centers, library renovations and road improvements.
The upcoming “Vibrant Denver” proposal aims to fund similar projects that can start construction in the next year. Johnston said the bond is the best way to improve the city’s quality of life without cutting into a strained general fund.
If the bond is approved, property taxes won’t go up — it would extend existing taxes that are set to phase out in the coming years.
Potential improvements can be grouped into five different categories.
After a couple months of collecting public feedback about what Denverites want to use bond dollars to pay for, suggestions were grouped into five different subcommittees. They are:
- Arts and cultural venues
- Connectivity
- Parks, playgrounds, trees, trails and climate
- Rec centers, libraries, housing and other city facilities
- Safe and healthy neighborhoods
From there, the subcommittees condensed the 6,000 responses they got into a list of about 220 projects.
Now, the bond proposal’s executive committee — which includes Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval, the city’s chief financial officer and former mayor Federico Peña — has to condense that list down into a final proposal that fits within the bonds' $800 million budget.
What are some of the potential projects?
The executive committee will face some difficult choices. The 220-project list categorizes each option into subcommittee-assigned tiers based on importance. The executive committee could still choose to ignore those tiers, depending on their preferences.
Many are projects that have been prioritized in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, which highlights vital infrastructure needs that the city would like to complete by 2030.
Some potential ideas would expand the cultural footprint of Denver. The Arts and Cultural Venues subcommittee picked proposals to fund deferred maintenance at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and to build out Denver’s Historic Chinatown, to name a few.
The Connectivity subcommittee highlighted several street improvements, as well as better pedestrian infrastructure citywide. One idea is to fund turning Wynkoop Street into a car-lite “shared street.”
The largest set of potential improvements came from the Parks, Playgrounds, Trees, Trials and Climate committee. Ideas ranged from as large as funding Park Hill Park’s construction through grant dollars, to as small as building shade for a dog park.
In survey results shared by the city, improvements to parks and other outdoor areas was the most important priority for respondents. Streets and mobility were a close second, followed by indoor city facilities.
You can find the full list of potential projects here.
What’s next for the bond project?
The executive committee has meetings scheduled through mid-June. After it determines a final package of projects, city council has to approve it to send it to voters.
What do you think about the potential projects? Send us your thoughts at [email protected].
