Community Announcements

What’s The East Plan?

The Denver City Planning department has developed an extensive plan for the “East Area” of Denver, including South Park Hill, Montclair, Hale, and East Colfax, Plans for the area include the following categories: Economy and Housing, Mobility, Quality of Life and Land Use and Urban Design. If you have not heard of the planning efforts, or have not had the chance to weigh in with your opinions, contact senior city planner Elizabeth Wiegle at 720-865-2915 or elizabeth.wiegle@denvergov.org,. Check out the plans online at denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/community-planning-and-development/planning-and-design/Neighborhood_Planning_Initiative.html

A Line Meeting July 27 

The Regional Transportation District and Denver Transit Partners will host a public meeting on Saturday, July 27 to provide information about quiet zones along the University of Colorado A Line. The A Line light rail, which runs from downtown to DIA, passes through the northern edge of Park Hill. The near-constant horns from the trains have been a source of frustration for people living along the route since the rail line opened in 2016. The July 27 meeting is from 9 to 11 a.m. at Denver Human Services Center, 3815 Steele St. Residents are invited to visit with representatives of RTD and DTP, ask questions and learn when and why they might hear train horns in designated quiet zones along commuter rail routes. For more information, contact Christina Zazueta at Christina.Zazueta@rtd-denver.com or 303-299-2675. 

Under Construction

A required water control construction project has forced the closure of a popular section of the Greenway just northeast of Park Hill for several months. The trail, from Quebec Avenue to the Central Park Boulevard bridge, is under construction and will be closed until the end of October – a timeline that is much longer than expected. Trail users are being routed through the Northfield area, adding a mile to the route.

2019 Mayor’s Design Awards

Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department are seeking nominations for the 2019 Mayor’s Design Awards to honor projects throughout the city for excellence in architecture, exterior design and place-making. The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits and artists for creative contributions to the public realm through innovative design. Previous award winners range from restaurants and galleries to private single-family homes to plazas and other shared public spaces. What each of the projects have in common is the imaginative and innovative way they enhance public spaces and create a sense of community. Nominations are due Friday, Sept. 6. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in late fall. To nominate a project, learn more and see past winners, visit DenverGov.org/MDA.

Lessons In Leadership

Metropolitan State University of Denver President Janine Davidson is the featured speaker in a Lowry Speaker Series event on Tuesday, July 30. The title of Davidson’s talk is From the Pentagon to the Presidency: Lessons in Leadership. Davidson is the president of MSU, the state’s third-largest public university, with more than 20,000 students. Before becoming president in 2017, Davidson served as the 32nd undersecretary of the United States Navy and the president’s appointed “chief management officer” for the Navy and Marine Corps. Davidson began her career as an Air Force officer and was the first woman to fly the branch’s tactical C-130. She has taught at universities, military schools and was an aviation and aerobatics flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She also currently serves as a member of the Denver Mayor’s Education Compact, and is a board member on several local nonprofits. Her talk is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Eisenhower Chapel, 293 Roslyn St. Admission is free; no tickets or reservations are necessary. For more information, call the Lowry Foundation at 303-344-0481.

Seeking Western Artists 

The City of Denver’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or artist team for public art in the National Western Center Main Campus Plaza. The selection panel seeks one or more site-specific unique artworks that demonstrate an authentic connection between human activity and the land, and tell the agricultural, historic, social and ecological story of the National Western Center and surrounding neighborhoods. The artwork will be fully integrated into the design and construction of the plaza, and artists will have access to selected historic artifacts and salvage materials from the site that may be repurposed for the artwork. The public art project budget is approximately $750,000 and the call is open to local, national or international artists. Applications will be accepted through Monday, July 15, at 11:59 p.m. For more information on this and other Denver Public Art opportunities, visit denverpublicart.org/for-artists.

Beer On The Catwalk

The annual Denver Dumb Friends League Catwalk is Saturday, July 13. Pet lovers are invited to celebrate cats and kittens by sampling craft beer from 10 local breweries, while learning about programs that benefit felines and viewing adorable adoptable cats. Catwalk is a ticketed, 21-and-older event. Tickets are $25 and include beer tastings from 10 local breweries from 7 to 9 p.m. They can be purchased by visiting ddfl.org/catwalk. Catwalk takes place at the Quebec Street Shelter, at 2080 S. Quebec St. The felines request that attendees leave their canine companions at home.

City Park Jazz  Continues

For 33 years, City Park Jazz has offered up 10 free concerts every summer at the Pavilion in Denver’s Historic City Park. Concerts are every Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This year’s series began in early June, and the last Sunday concert is on Aug. 4. For more info, check out cityparkjazz.org. Here’s the line-up for the rest of the summer:

July 7: Invisible Bird

July 14: Conjunto Colores

July 21: Brass Band Extravaganza 

July 28:  Freddy Rodriguez & the Jazz Connection

Aug. 4: The Heavy Heavies featuring Venus Cruz

Recycle This Billboard

Denver was recently awarded a $250,000 grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation for a public education campaign designed to improve recycling rates in the city and to educate residents about what can and cannot be placed in their purple recycling carts. The money will be used for educational materials and messaging on billboards, bus shelter signs, digital advertising and postcards. 

 Denver Public Works will also begin tagging trash carts this summer with informational cards in east, central and west Denver neighborhoods, reaching about 22,000 households. The pilot, which runs through the fall, will help give Denver a better understanding of what approach works best for teaching people how to recycle. The goal is to increase recycling and composting rates in Denver from what is now 23 percent to 34 percent, which is the national average.