With more residents being drawn downtown, city business leaders are working on a plan that will charge them for the litter pickup, sidewalk cleaning and other services they demand.
“The issue is that central cities and downtowns throughout the country are experiencing rapid residential growth, and downtown Denver is no exception,” said John Desmond, vice president of urban planning and environment for Downtown Denver Partnership Inc. “It’s about empowering residents to have a say in their environment.”
The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District has asked Progressive Urban Management Associates to research and evaluate the option of creating a community improvement district tool that would pay for enhanced services and improvements in downtown and surrounding mixed- use communities.
The community improvement district would work in much the same way as the business improvement district, in which each property owner is assessed a fee, Desmond said. The fee could be based on square footage, assessed valuation or linear frontage to the street, he said.
“It would be up to the residents to determine what would be the most fair and equitable assessment,” Desmond said.
The number of residents affected and the amount the district would raise has not been determined because its boundaries have not been established. About 9,000 people live in downtown’s central business district, Lower Downtown and the Central Platte Valley.
“It’s a concept rather than a specific geographic area,” Desmond said. “It’s a tool we’re trying to form that we feel is an option for residents in mixed-used districts throughout the city of Denver.”
Keith Pryor, a board member of Curtis Park Neighbors, said he likes the idea.
“We think it’s a phenomenal idea,” he said. “Collective money could really have an impact on marketing and various things the city itself can’t afford.”
Staff writer Margaret Jackson can be reached at 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com.
