City Cast Denver

Earlier this week, Governor Jared Polis made a post on X comparing the sentences of former Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis and former county clerk Tina Peters, both of whom have been convicted of attempting to influence a public official, among other charges. Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by comedian Kate McLachlan to dig into what Polis is – or isn’t saying – about President Trump’s calls to pardon Peters. Plus, they discuss the city’s plans to host a restaurant inside the McNichols Civic Center Building and pitch their dream eateries for this parkside spot.  After our recording, Sen. Michael Bennet made a post on X about his position on clemency for Tina Peters.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think Gov. Polis is saying with his X post? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 If you enjoyed today's sponsored interview with Andy Cambron, the CEO of Multipass, learn more here. Check out upcoming Multipass events below: Debbie Check Max Davidson Presents: Strangers and Friends The Afterlove Tour Learn more about the sponsors of this March 5th episode: Multipass Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Kwame Spearman wants you to buy books from him again. The 2023 mayoral hopeful and former CEO of The Tattered Cover opened Denver Book Society last month and he’s hoping for a redemption arc. But  social media chatter shows some Denverites feeling skeptical of his second try at book selling, accusing him of being a catalyst for Tattered’s failure at retaining local ownership and calling into question comments he made about ICE and immigration during his run for mayor. Can Spearman and co-owner Rich Garvin create the “third space” they hope to bring with this new venture? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to discuss the future of the new indie bookstore, plus dig into the news that Denver Pride is shrinking down to a single day celebration and will move from Civic Center Park to 16th Street.  Bree mentioned Spearman’s comments on immigration, as reported by 9News and Denverite’s conversation with Kim Salvaggio, CEO of The Center. Olivia read from Instagram posts from both Denver Book Society and Denver Book Swap Society. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this March 4th episode: Multipass Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Patty Calhoun, Westword editor covering Denver politics, policing, and restaurants. She breaks down Mayor Johnston’s ICE executive order and how Denver police might respond. She explores a new report on the city’s restaurant contraction and the heated debate over tipped wages. Listeners’ reactions to recent mayoral remarks are also discussed.

JD Lopez, comedian known for local recs and Denver comedy scene flair, and Adrian González, newsletter-savvy producer with deep neighborhood knowledge, share top March picks. They spotlight a long-running comedy night, a hidden Western art museum, a paleta-cart art exhibit, must-try breakfast and coffee spots, and local 303 Day celebrations. Short, fun guide to what to do, eat, and see this month.

A lot of cities, including Denver, are trying to figure out how best to revitalize downtown. It's an issue that's especially top of mind for Pittsburgh, who is hosting the NFL Draft in April. To solve the problem of vacant properties and empty storefronts, the city is trying out a new rent abatement program. So, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Pittsburgh podcast host Megan Harris about why their downtown emptied out, whether this program will bring new businesses downtown for the long-term, and other revitalization plans that are in the works. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

After bubbling up over the last few months, the debate over data centers in Denver boiled over this week. Mayor Mike Johnston imposed a moratorium on new ones being built, then a community meeting erupted in chants to halt construction on one going up in Elyria-Swansea. Our green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval was at the town hall, and she joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to get into it — plus, Douglas County has a new retail theft measure that could lead to fines for businesses that don’t report shoplifting and, as always, our wins and fails of the week. Paul mentioned Greeley’s big arena vote and Humane Colorado. Bree talked about Blucifer’s First Rodeo. Justine discussed the Westernaires dropping Native American dancing and the Garfield County sheriff’s comments about Rep. Elizabeth Velasco. What do you think about data centers being build in Denver? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

A moratorium on new data centers. A replacement for Flock surveillance cameras. A reversal in the Alameda Ave. safety plan debate. These are all big issues in the city right now that Mayor Mike Johnston has recently seemed to change his mind about. So, what gives? Johnston sits down with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to explain these big recent shifts — plus, what he thinks about one of his big campaign donors showing up in the Epstein Files and a listener question about Denver Public Schools. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Could downtown’s narrative finally be changing? From buying up the Pavilions to renovating Skyline Park, the city has been putting big money and energy toward making Denver’s urban core appealing again. Developers are following suit — real estate investor Asher Luzzatto recently announced plans to spend $300 million on renovating a whole city block, including the conversion of two aging office buildings into new housing, childcare facilities, commercial space, and more. So, what else is missing? We’re revisiting a classic episode from two years ago when we threw out our biggest, craziest ideas to bring life back downtown to see if city leaders took any notes.  Bree mentioned the Cinderella City Project, pencil smokestack art, and Lawrence Halprin’s original Skyline Park design. She also talked about our episode on the likelihood of changing downtown’s empty office buildings into housing.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm How do you think downtown has been feeling lately? Revitalized and cool again? Still not quite back? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

With the primaries just around the corner in June, Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser are hitting the gubernatorial campaign trail hard. This past weekend, the two leading Democratic candidates joined a forum — put on by Greater Denver Transit, the Denver Bicycle Lobby, and YIMBY Denver — to spar over their positions on everything from Peña Boulevard and rental assistance to allowing apartment buildings to ban dogs. Producer Paul Karolyi was there, and he sits down with host Bree Davies to discuss what he observed from Weiser and Bennet and how the housing and transit crowd reacted.  Paul mentioned this new Denver Post report that DIA officials have “broadened their approach” to their work addressing traffic congestion on Peña Boulevard and will now consider increasing public transit service. Check out our past interviews with AG Weiser and Senator Bennet.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about Weiser and Bennet? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this February 24th episode: Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Beau Jo’s is a bona fide Colorado institution, but the full origin story of “Colorado Style Pizza” has not been told until today. Producer Paul Karolyi has been obsessed with Beau Jo’s since moving here in 2015 and seeing Denverites put honey on their pizza crust. Finally, he completed a multi-year investigation of the honey-crust phenomenon and the true meaning of “Colorado Style Pizza” for the James Beard Award-winning podcast The Sporkful, culminating in an interview with Beau Jo’s owner Chip Bair. Today on the podcast, we are presenting that interview in its entirety. Check out that episode of The Sporkful! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about Beau Jo’s and Colorado Style Pizza? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise