Plans for a controversial $40 million redevelopment project aimed at Denver’s Asia Center have been withdrawn.
The proposal was officially marked as “Closed – Withdrawn” on May 20, according to the city’s online permitting and licensing center portal. Denver District 7 Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez confirmed the withdrawal to The Post.
“The most recent concept plans submitted to the City were not approved, and no demolition permits or redevelopment approvals have been granted. Any future proposal would be subject to additional review, community engagement, and city processes,” Alvidrez said in an email statement on Thursday.
“Following conversations with community leaders, business owners, and stakeholders, we have agreed that the community should have the opportunity to lead the next public engagement event and build trust through a process they help shape.”
Alvidrez added that this will be a long-term conversation that will likely unfold over several years.
Concept plans filed with the city in late April proposed replacing the shopping center with a four-story mixed-use development featuring apartments above ground-floor retail. The plans, later revised to include a pagoda-style roofline, quickly gained attention on social media, sparking community backlash and a petition that has gained .
Several tenants previously told The Post they were caught off guard by the plans and worried about what the redevelopment could mean for their businesses. In response to the growing concerns, Alvidrez, community leaders and representatives from 3i Law, the firm representing the owners, held a news conference outside the Asia Center on April 29 to address questions from tenants and residents.
During the gathering, which drew a small crowd of tenants, community members and media representatives, organizers said that a public town hall would likely be held in late May. However, no such meeting took place.
Alvidrez told The Post that her office is continuing outreach to those most directly impacted, particularly the small-business tenants who have helped make the corridor a cultural and economic anchor.
“My focus remains on ensuring that community voices are heard, cultural identity is respected, and small businesses are included in shaping the future of South Federal,” she added.
“I am also working with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Community Planning and Development (CPD), and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) to have better support for them during the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) process along Federal Blvd.”
The Asia Center, 1000 S. Federal Blvd, is near planned stops on the bus rapid transit line. It sits along Federal Boulevard between Alameda and Mississippi avenues, a corridor the city designated as the Little Saigon Business District in 2014.
Representatives from 3i Law did not respond to requests for comment or additional information at the time of publication.
Clarification: The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection had no role in this application because it was not a business or occupational license that was closed/withdrawn. Denver’s Permitting and Licensing Center is an online portal.
