DENVER (KDVR) — Frustration is growing among local businesses as construction on the 16th Street Mall project reaches two years.
The project started back in April 2022 with a goal to improve safety and mobility by addressing deteriorating infrastructure and creating more opportunities for those who live in and visit Denver. But businesses in the area told FOX31 that the ongoing construction has made it difficult to attract customers.
3 Margaritas owner Esteban Murguia said their sales are down 25% to 30% from last year.
“I have a lot of customers that support because they know what’s going on and they come and support, but we don’t have as much foot traffic as we used to,” Murguia said.
Just down the block, Sierra Davis, shop supervisor at Gelato Boy, said their store just barely broke even.
“It really affects the foot traffic that comes through. We are gelato, a very weather-based business. But especially in the last eight months or so, they built this wall right here, so that took away some of the foot traffic that we’d get from across the street,” Davis said.
Construction is slow going, but the city said they are working as quickly as possible.
When will 16th Street Mall construction finish?
Since the start of the project, the 16th Street Mall Business Support Program has awarded 177 grants to 103 businesses totaling more than $1 million.
The city of Denver said they understand the frustration from businesses and are committed to working with them closely.
By late spring, the city said the first two blocks, from Market to Lawrence streets, will have fences down. By the end of 2024, more than half of the blocks under construction will have fences down and be open for public use as they await small-scale finishing touches.
Murguia said he is just hoping to keep the lights on until then.
“We just have to wait and once it’s done it’s going to be busy again, but right now it’s just a matter of time,” Murguia said.
The project is expected to be fully complete by 2025.
The full statement from the city of Denver is reproduced below:
“We are working as quickly as we can to complete the 16th Street Mall Project; it is the first major renovation of this vital downtown corridor in more than 40 years since its opening in 1982. A primary driver for the project was the need to address deteriorating infrastructure, specifically the granite paver system, that was resulting in poor drainage, frequent disruptions to the transit system and maintenance costs of more than $1M annually.
In addition to addressing deteriorating infrastructure and improving mobility and safety, the renovation will add new design features that will make the space a more desirable, welcoming and engaging destination. Site furnishings, play features and moments of joy will be distributed up and down 16th Street in relationship to activity areas and adjacent land uses (see attached renderings).
As Denver works to breathe new life into this iconic pedestrian destination and secure the future of the 16th Street Mall for generations to come, access to businesses is being maintained. We’re providing wayfinding signage on every block with business logos/names to help direct people to the places they want to go. We have a web page and distribute regular e-blasts to help keep the public informed of our progress.
We understand the frustration from businesses. We are committed to continuing to work with them closely and looking forward to celebrating some important milestones in the coming months:
- By late spring, the first two blocks – from Market to Lawrence – will have fences down. That will be followed by some small-scale work such as the installation of seating areas or play structures, but this work will be less disruptive
- The first four blocks of the 16th Street renovation project will be complete and activated by Labor Day, with the free Mallride shuttle also operating again on that stretch from Market to Curtis streets.
- By the end of 2024, more than half of the blocks under construction will have fences down and be open for public use as they await small-scale finishing touches.
- The project is planned to be fully complete in fall 2025.
Business Support
Since the start of the project and as of mid-March 2024, the 16th Street Mall Business Support Program has awarded 177 grants totaling over $1M, via two grant programs for eligible businesses:
- The mitigation grant is an early-stage grant of $2,000 to help businesses prepare for construction with enhanced marketing and promotion of their business
- The stabilization grant is a later-stage grant of $7,500 or $15,000 to offset demonstrated revenue losses due to project impacts
- The program also offered a toolkit that included a self-assessment for businesses to ascertain construction-readiness.
- You can find information on the eligibility for each grant and a list of awardees on the project website.
Coming up, utilization of a $1.15M contract managed by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) and administered by the Downtown Denver Partnership, using ARPA dollars for:
- Branding, positioning and marketing 16th Street (including rebranding, toolkits for 16th Street businesses, and re-opening celebrations)
- Business recruitment and retention (aiming to bring more neighborhood amenities to support residential population as well as develop a strong retail environment that includes a strong mix of local concepts and larger, national anchors). Also includes support for Popup Denver and engagement with major employers and leaseholders
- Public Realm Activation and Experience: Free Mall Ride refresh, an evolution of the kiosk program (which supports up and coming entrepreneurs) and visual placemaking elements
The 16th Street Mall project is funded through a mix of local, state, and federal funds, including voter approved Elevate Denver bond funds and contributions from partners including the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, Colorado Department of Transportation, and Federal Transit Administration. Total project budget is currently $172.5M.”
