February’s NBA All-Star Weekend helped pump an additional $1.1 million into Denver’s tax coffers for the month, the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau said Thursday.
The city collected roughly $29 million in sales tax in February, up 4.1 percent over February 2004, according to estimates from the city.
Richard Scharf, convention bureau president, said February generated about $22 million more in spending at Denver hotels, apparel stores, restaurants and car-rental outlets than in February 2004.
That’s $8 million less than the $30 million in economic impact Scharf had projected before and immediately after the event.
But Scharf said in a statement that spending outside the city of Denver would raise the overall number to close to $30 million.
Hotel occupancy in metro Denver during All-Star Weekend, held on the traditionally slow Presidents Day weekend, climbed to 69.27 percent, up from 52.47 percent in February 2004, according to Smith Travel Research.
Average room rates jumped to $93.07, $23.36 higher than the same weekend in 2004.
“From the downtown hotel perspective, it was a successful weekend,” said Ilene Kamsler, president of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association. “It’s typically a slow weekend in the city, so this was a great boost.”
Restaurant tax revenues were up more than 11 percent compared with February 2004.
Apparel taxes were up 14 percent and car-rental taxes were up 4 percent, according to the convention bureau.
But several downtown businesses complained that they were hurt by the event because many locals avoided the area.
“I know they pumped in a lot of money, but most of the players and the people who came into town went to private functions and events,” said Rashad Hartley, a manager at McCormick’s Fish House & Bar. “This area down here really suffered.”
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
