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Trade associations for Colorado apartment building owners, hoteliers and commercial real professionals have filed a federal lawsuit to overturn state and Denver rules requiring large buildings to slash their greenhouse gas emissions.
The 3,600-member Colorado Apartment Association and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association, and NAIOP Colorado filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Circuit Court in Denver saying the rules that violate laws setting energy efficiency standards and making energy regulation of appliances a federal matter.
Building owners in Denver have been assessing the cost and difficulties of meeting the standards and finding large price tags and the possibility of having to evict tenants while work is done, said Kathie Barstnar, executive director of NAIOP Colorado, an association of industrial and office park owners.
“The standards are so strict that the only way to comply is to electrify,” she said. “We just felt we had no other choice.”
Representatives for the City of Denver and the Colorado Energy Office declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The lawsuit seeks to have the court declare both city and state building performance standards unenforceable, arguing they violate the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act and the Energy Policy Act passed by Congress three decades ago. Energy standards are a federal matter, the lawsuit complaint says, and local rules cannot exceed Department of Energy efficiency standards, require replacement of federally acceptable appliances or discriminate against types of fuels used.
It resembles a similar legal challenge in California that reached the Ninth Circuit federal appeals court and last year rendered natural gas bans in Berkeley unenforceable, forcing cities in that state to reconsider local energy codes encouraging electrification.
Denver in 2021 passed building performance and greenhouse gas reduction standards that began kicking in last year for commercial and multifamily buildings larger than 25,000 square feet. The 2023 phase-in at first only required some building owners to scope out what efficiency upgrades the structures would require, with some properties having to make upgrades this year.
The goal of the Energize Denver program, developed over months of discussions, is to cut commercial building greenhouse gas emissions in the city by 80% by 2040.
Commercial property owners who still want a natural gas replacement heater would have to ensure it is sized correctly for their building or to ensure there are no leaks in the natural gas pipes in the property.
The energy efficiency standards are high enough that building owners are finding that meeting the Denver standards could only be accomplished by scrapping functional, energy-efficient systems that aren’t electric, Barstnar said. In some cases, apartment building owners faced having to empty their building of tenants while the structure is “re-skinned” to meet efficiency requirements, she said.
The statewide standards share many of the same features as Energize Denver rules but will apply to about 8,000 commercial buildings larger than 50,000 square feet outside of Denver. The rules were passed last year by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission and are slated to begin taking effect in 2026.
The Colorado Apartment Association has more than 3,600 members who own and manage properties worth $98 billion and have more than 350,0000 apartments, the association says.
Its membership overlaps heavily with the Apartment Association of Metro Denver. The difficulties members were discovering in Denver made building owners outside the city believe the lawsuit was necessary over the statewide requirements, too, Barstnar said.
The building owners filed the lawsuit on Monday, April 22. Barstnar said the groups didn’t realize until after the fact that they’d filed their complaint on Earth Day.
Barstnar served on state and Denver task forces that crafted the building performance standards. The legal challenge to them isn’t meant as a statement about the aims of the energy conservation programs, she said.
“We’re not anti-environment or anti-efficiency, it’s just that these mandates are not fiscally attainable,” she said.
Kick off the day with a fragrant bouquet of freshly cut, elegantly arranged flowers. Colorado’s largest flower business, Lehrer’s Flowers, can help you find the perfect combination for your mom. Order from Bouquets in Lower Downtown—they were named one of America’s top 10 florists by Bon Appetit Magazine. Or check out Fern and Bloom in the Historic Tennyson Arts district.
If mom loves vino, get her a bottle of red, white or rose from one of Denver’s urban wineries, like Infinite Monkey Theorem , Carboy Winery , E&J Gallo Winery , Deep Roots Winery , Balistreri Vineyards or Bigsby’s Folly .
And of course you can never go wrong with chocolate! Get her a sweet treat from Enstrom’s Candies , Temper Chocolates and Confections, Kilwins Chocolates & Ice Cream or The Chocolate Therapist. Explore more of Denver’s best chocolate shops.
Give your mom the gift of relaxation with a spa treatment experience at this unique wellness spot that combines a day spa with a craft beer bar. She’ll receive complimentary drinks, gourmet chocolates, a private spa suite and a full-body massage.
WHEN: May 9, 2024
WHERE: Center for Colorado Women’s History
Celebrate motherhood with your loved ones and a delicious cup of tea at the Center for Colorado Women’s History. The In Bloom Mother’s Day Tea will feature Lady Evans black tea and a variety of savory and sweet snacks provided by local and woman-led business Miss Peabody’s Southern Tea Cakes. The event will include a docent-led museum tour in which visitors will learn about the three generations of mothers who lived in the historic house on-site, followed by an hour-long tea seating. After their tea seating, visitors are invited to leisure in the Center’s pollinator and Three Sisters gardens.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Bring the whole family and enjoy scrumptious options like eggs benedict, prime rib, smoked salmon, kid-friendly bites and much more. Call 720-913-2761 to make a reservation.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: FIRE at the ART hotel
Enjoy a spread of culinary delights on Mother’s Day from Chef Ashley Robertson! She’ll be dishing out seafood selections, carving stations and an omelet station. Enjoy sweet brunch favorites for mom like mini cakes, chocolates and hot offerings like maple pecan-wood smoked bacon and more. Yes, you can add on bottomless mimosas for mom for an additional charge! Make a reservation to secure a spot for mom and the whole family; it’s $80 per adult and $30 for kids ages 5 to 12.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Range Restaurant
Give Mom the gift of brunch at Range Restaurant this Mother’s Day. Raise a mimosa to the special woman in your life. Make your reservation on the website.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Guard & Grace
To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, the acclaimed Guard and Grace steakhouse is offering an exclusive menu featuring appetizers (‘Done Deal’ Salmon Rillettes, Warm Monkey Bread, Burrata), a raw bar, brunch items (Fancy French Toast; a Four Egg Seafood Omelet; and a Duck Scramble), and mains (Guard and Grace’s award-winning Filet Flight; Alaskan Black Cod; and the Creekstone Farms Burger), all with the distinctive Troy Guard spin.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Corinne Restaurant
Treat Mom to brunch at Corinne! Enjoy decadent specials such as Lobster Benedict or an Acai Brunch Bowl served alongside Corinne’s usual Sunday Brunch menu. Make your reservation on OpenTable and make this Mother’s Day one to remember!
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Sofar Sounds
What better way to celebrate Mom than with a special surprise that only Sofar can deliver? Your ticket includes a scrumptious brunch buffet and performances by three unique artists. Cocktails will be available for purchase.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Delta by Marriott Denver Thornton, Northglenn
Treat the mothers in your life to an unforgettable Mother’s Day brunch extravaganza! Marriott has curated a delectable spread featuring premium carving stations like prime rib and honey-glazed ham, alongside a decadent chocolate fountain and an array of the many brunch favorites.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Plot Twist Bakery, Littleton
Spend this special day with Mom preparing a beautiful and memorable afternoon tea service. Together, you’ll create classic and delicious tea-time treats, including Blueberry White Chocolate Scones; Caprese Tea Sandwiches; Ham, Brie, Apple & Dijon Tea Sandwiches; and Chocolate Truffles. After preparing your courses, you’ll sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor, served with complimentary tea and coffee as well as chef-prepared lemon curd and strawberry bars.
WHEN: May 4, 2024
WHERE: Curate: A Local Mercantile, Centennial
Come by on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to support Happiness & Sweets and their delicious brigaderios, cupcakes and more. Brigaderios are a delicious, bite-size chocolate confectionary! They aren’t too sweet, and they are very popular at holidays and parties in Brazil! While you’re there, shop Curate’s wonderful local vendors, including clothing, jewelry, art, Colorado food items, live plants, home décor, gift items and more!
WHEN: May 4–5, 2024
WHERE: Ratio Beerworks
Shop local vendors and makers just in time for Mother’s Day, get a flash tattoo from local artists, and enjoy the amazing beer from Ratio! There will also be a Cinco de Mayo-themed pug meetup on May 5!
WHEN: May 4–5, 2024
WHERE: 1004 S. Gaylord St.
Start your shopping list now for inspired, one-of-a-kind gifts for Mother’s Day, graduations, teachers or yourself! The market will feature 80+ creatively curated artisans, including more than 20 incredible new artists, makers and designers. Admission is free and the market will also feature live music and food and drinks from local restaurants and bars.
WHEN: May 4, 11–12, 18 & 26, 2024
WHERE: The Scarf Studio
This Mother’s Day, celebrate the special women in your life in an unforgettable way. The Scarf Studio and Happy Bakeshop, two beloved local businesses, have joined forces to present a special ‘Celebrate Mom’ event throughout the month of May, offering a delightful fusion of cupcakes and creativity. This unique celebration promises to dazzle moms and grandmas alike. The Scarf Studio will host the May series of ‘Celebrate Mom’ workshops, where participants will unleash their creativity on paper templates, which will then be transformed into scarves to proudly wear. And you don’t have to be an artist to join in on the fun!
WHEN: May 7–12, 2024
WHERE: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Arvada
Shop for functional, hand-crafted pottery for a one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day gift! Works offered in this annual show include dinnerware, jewelry and sculpture. There will be hundreds of pieces available and prices to fit any budget. Presented by the Arvada Center’s nationally recognized faculty of ceramic artists and advanced students. Proceeds benefit the participating artists and the Arvada Center Ceramics Studio.
WHEN: May 8–Oct. 16, 2024; Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Civic Center Park
Every Thursday From May through October, Civic Center EATS transforms Civic Center Park into a lunchtime extravaganza with Denver’s best food and fashion trucks and live music. It’s your chance to savor a variety of cuisines while supporting our city’s small local business scene and the Civic Center Conservancy’s mission to restore and enhance Civic Center Park, Denver’s only National Historic Landmark.
WHEN: May 9, 2024
WHERE: State 38 Distilling, Golden
Join State 38 Distilling and TeeLee Floral and Events for a floral arranging workshop, just in time for Mother’s Day! Whether you’re looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift or simply want to enjoy a fun night out, this workshop is for you. You’ll receive step-by-step instructions on creating your own floral bouquet to take home while sipping on cocktails from State 38. All materials are included along with two drinks and light snacks. Bring your mom and celebrate creativity together this Mother’s Day, or gather your girlfriends for a fun and memorable evening. Don’t miss this opportunity to bond with loved ones and craft your own stunning bouquet!
WHEN: May 9–11, 2024
WHERE: 3250 East Sixth Ave.
This highly anticipated biannual show will feature top local artists selling their work in a variety of mediums including ceramics, jewelry, glass, wood, personal care products and fiber. The show is the perfect place to find your Mother’s Day gifts and buy local!
WHEN: May 9–11, 2024
WHERE: JCC Denver’s Ranch Camp, Elbert
Hold onto your ukuleles! The annual Denver Ukefest is coming soon.
WHEN: May 10–11, 2024
WHERE: JCC Denver’s Ranch Camp, Elbert
This sweet festival features chocolate candy, a chocolate fountain, cakes, cookies, truffles, fudge, brownies, toffees, coffees, zero-proof “choctails” and much more, not to mention a Mother’s Day Gift Market with jewelry, clothes, imports and crafts!
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: Washington Park
This long-standing community event showcases a unique mix of four distinctive homes in the East Washington Park neighborhood. Attendees can tour the properties at their leisure and enjoy local artisans, vendors and entertainment at the Mother’s Day Market Street Fair, conveniently located in the same area as the tour. This event hosted by Steele Elementary’s PTA raises funds to directly support many programs and services that make Wash Park’s neighborhood DPS elementary school a special place. Additionally, a percentage of funds raised this year will directly benefit families in need through the LOVVE Project by providing fresh food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies to our neighbors in Virginia Village in partnership with Steele’s sister school, Ellis Elementary.
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: Room for Milly
Every year, Room for Milly transforms their amazing cocktail space into a jungle of greenery and features a special menu for the occasion, along with local artists and vendors selling unique wares. Get your mom a gift OR bring her along to shop and have a delicious cocktail!
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: The Source Hotel
Join The Source on Mother’s Day weekend for a springtime festival of art, apparel and accessories and self-care, along with tasty bites and live music. Free and open to all, the expanded market will be held both inside The Source Market Halls and outside in the parking lot. Immerse yourself in the spirit of spring and support Denver’s talented artisans and entrepreneurs. Participating vendors include Baby Jess Art, Bjorn’s Honey, KB Candies, Pazful Designs, Oddities by Cera, Encore Vintage and Healing Vibes Crystals. Stay to shop and dine at the amazing Source Hotel & Market Hall partners, including Safta, Temaki Den, VelArt Denver, Switchwood and Konbini.
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: 50th & Lowell in Northwest Denver at Regis Campus
The day before Mother’s Day, this market is the perfect way to celebrate all the moms in your life with more than 120 local makers, vendors, vintage collectors, culinary artists, food trucks, mobile boutiques, live music and drinks and cocktails! Grab your friends and make a day of fun outdoor shopping in beautiful northwest Denver. Buy mom a gift, buy yourself gifts and shop locally and sustainably from Colorado small business creatives. The market is dog-friendly, family-friendly and free!
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: EDENS
Hangin’ N Slangin’ vintage thrift markets will be in RiNo, in the Lot on Larimer, on the second Saturday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and last Sunday (12 p.m. to 7 p.m) of every month from March to November right next to the Denver Central Market! Events are always free to attend, and there’s always a great group of vendors, food and music.
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: The Shops at Northfield
The Shops at Northfield will celebrate Colorado’s spirit of community, creativity and craftsmanship with a series of Artisan Markets held on the second Saturday of every month from May to October. Kicking off over Mother’s Day weekend, each market will feature 50–70 local vendors offering a wide variety of treasures, including handmade jewelry, Colorado photography, soaps, clothing, abstract art, artisanal food products and more. Free and open to all, attendees can dine at food trucks and enjoy live local music while also shopping and dining at the Northfield retailers and restaurants. Dogs are welcome!
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: The Sprucery Garden Center, Franktown
Create beautiful memories with Mom as you make hand-painted pots with your choice of annual flower planted in them for just $10.00. Bring your little ones to meet and greet their favorite princesses and superheroes, and don’t miss out on the incredible face painting that will add a touch of magic to the day!
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: Outlets at Castle Rock, Castle Rock
It can be hard for Mom to find a day for herself, so gift her one she won’t forget in honor of Mother’s Day! This annual day of shopping and pampering lets mothers take a break from their busy lives and enjoy an unforgettable experience with refreshing mimosas, delicious pastries, freebies, giveaways and exclusive discounts to select stores. Celebrate the amazing women in your life with a fun-filled afternoon where they can be pampered, celebrated and have a shopping spree with their girlfriends! A portion of the proceeds will go toward Help and Hope Center of Castle Rock.
WHEN: May 11–12, 2024
WHERE: 1611 Raleigh Street
Spring is in the air and Denver BAZAAR is excited to return to Sloan’s Lake for Spring BAZAAR! This outdoor market will feature 80+ carefully curated vendors (including home goods, jewelry, sweet treats, clothing and self-care products), a live DJ, festive springtime sips and local craft beer, food trucks and street food and more! Admission is free for all ages, or upgrade your shop-and-sip experience with bottomless mimosas or a drink token package!
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Civic Center Park
Experience a glimpse of Indian culture, performing arts and scrumptious food. Bring your family and friends to immerse in the vibrant culture of India for the first time hosted in Downtown Denver!
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Centennial Promenade, Centennial
Welcome to Second Sundays at Centennial Promenade! A handmade-only event consisting of 70+ artisans, crafters and food experts from around Colorado. This art festival occurs every Second Sunday of the month, May through October. Bring the whole family to find incredible gifts, clothing and food for everyone to enjoy! Parking is always free, and Artisan Markets’ events are pup- and kid-friendly.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Air & Space Museum (Denver) & Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)
Celebrate with Mom at Wings Over the Rockies! All moms get in free at both Wings locations on Mother’s Day. Family members are welcome to pre-purchase their tickets online. Mom’s free admission ticket will be available at check-in.
WHEN: Thru May 17, 2024
WHERE: Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities, Arvada
Based on the award-winning books by Arnold Lobel, “A Year With Frog and Toad” follows the adventures of two best friends—the cheerful Frog and the grumpy Toad—as they hop, sing and dance their way through a year of adventure. Journey through the four seasons alongside Frog and Toad, learning about friendship, caring and what makes each of us special. A theatre production for young audiences, this whimsical musical draws connection to literacy, social-emotional learning, and life sciences and is recommended for grades K through 5.
WHEN: Thru May 18, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Volcanoes tower 80,000 feet above a barren surface. Monstrous hurricanes rage for 400 years. And multicolored rings sit suspended in air. In “Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure,” you’ll travel through our solar system faster than the speed of light, taking in the wonders of the planets and their moons.
WHEN: Thru May 18, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
This out-of-this-world tour, departing from Gates Planetarium, takes place on board the Space Express. Travel hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds with Jesse, an enthusiastic, knowledgeable—but inexperienced—tour guide, and Max, a highly advanced, fully integrated onboard computer. Tours of the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest, and most spectacular sights in the solar system await curious space explorers of all ages.
WHEN: Thru May 18, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Narrated by Liam Neeson, “Dynamic Earth” explores the inner workings of Earth’s climate system. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes.
WHEN: Thru May 18, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
This brilliant spectacle of light and color follows Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. This cross-cultural adventure opens children’s eyes to the sky, helping them see how people all over the world are connected.
WHEN: Thru May 18, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s legendary album, “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” in a mind-bending planetarium experience like no other. Step into a mesmerizing world of music and visuals as you journey through the solar system and beyond. With state-of-the-art technology, NSC Creative and Pink Floyd’s collaborator Aubrey Powell have crafted a visually stunning production that brings each song to life, blending futuristic aesthetics with nods to the band’s iconic imagery.
WHEN: Thru May 19, 2024
WHERE: Dairy Arts Center, Boulder
A science teacher in a small Southern town defies the law when he teaches the theory of evolution to his students. His case prompts a renowned fundamentalist politician/lawyer named Matthew Harrison Brady to offer his services as the prosecuting attorney. To combat this, Brady’s idealistic rival, Henry Drummond, arrives in town to defend the teacher and inadvertently ignites a media frenzy. “Inherit the Wind” is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes‘ conviction for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law.
WHEN: Thru May 26, 2024
WHERE: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Colorado Springs
Based loosely on Puccini’s “La Boheme,” Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
WHEN: Thru June 2, 2024
WHERE: Singleton Theatre
What follows is a theatrical mixtape of Bee’s life. It’s a one-person show that immerses the audience in elaborate, layered soundscapes by fusing Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry. And it’s all made, in-person, in real time, through the magic of live music and storytelling. “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” captures both the innocence of youth and the pressures that come with being the child of immigrants and asks, “What is my place? Where do I fit in?”
WHEN: Thru June 2, 2024
WHERE: Miners Alley Playhouse, Golden
This pop-rock musical send-up of gender expectations and stereotypes takes it all off! The 10-time Tony Award nominee musical mixes razor-sharp humor with toe-tapping pizzazz, for a must-see upbeat comedy. While spying on their wives at a girls’ night out, a group of unemployed steelworkers from Buffalo sees how much they enjoy watching male strippers. The jealous guys come up with a bold, unclothed idea for making some quick cash. As they conquer their fears, self-consciousness, and prejudices, the men come to discover that they’re stronger together. With their new courage and convictions, can these lovable misfits really pull it off? Packed with honest affection, engaging melodies, and the most highly anticipated closing number ever!
WHEN: Thru Dec. 28, 2024
WHERE: Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery
“Entering a performance at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery is like stepping through a looking glass and into a sci-fi wonderland. The gallery’s Lumonics Immersed installation was originally created by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner, pioneering light artists whose singular style fuses elements of light, music and sculptures to produce captivating experiences for the audience.” – Denver Westword
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
There’s a place from which nothing escapes, not even light, where time and space literally come to end. It’s at this point, inside this fantastic riddle, that black holes exert their sway over the cosmos … and our imaginations. In this Museum-produced show, zip through other-worldly wormholes, experience the creation of the Milky Way Galaxy and witness the violent death of a star and birth of a black hole. Mathematical equations, cutting-edge science, and Einstein’s theories fill in holes along the way, providing the most complete picture yet of this mysterious phenomenon. Can you feel the pull?
WHEN: Thru March 3, 2025
WHERE: Infinity Theater
Take part in a breathtaking journey with “Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D.” In this giant screen film narrated by English actor Andy Serkis, you will explore the world of the magnificent blue whale, a species rebounding from the brink of extinction. Following two scientific expeditions—one to find a missing population of blue whales off the exotic Seychelles Islands, the other to chronicle whale families in Mexico’s stunning Gulf of California—this inspirational story transforms our understanding of the largest animal ever to have lived.
WHEN: Thru March 3, 2025
WHERE: Infinity Theater
“Cities of the Future” invites you to step into an exciting new world of innovation and exploration to address the challenges of a rapidly changing planet. Discover the thrilling technological breakthroughs—electric autonomous vehicles and aerial highways, solar energy beamed down from space to power entire cities and smart buildings and greener infrastructure to keep us cool—that engineers are working on right now and meet a team of middle school students competing in the Future City Competition. Narrated by actor John Krasinski, this film will energize kids and adults of all ages to think about engineering as a meaningful way to help others and leave a positive mark on the world.
WHEN: May 3–5, 2024
WHERE: Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
For six straight decades, only ONE unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture, breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. “The Cher Show” is the Tony Award®-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon.
WHEN: May 3–19, 2024
WHERE: Dairy Arts Center, Boulder
During its 2019 run on Broadway, “What The Constitution Means to Me” received a tidal wave of critical praise, two Tony Award nominations and ultimately became a Pulitzer finalist. In this smart and timely comedy, Heidi Schreck resurrects her 15-year-old self who traveled the country competing in American Legion speech competitions to save money for college. Unearthing her perspective on the Constitution then and now, she delves into four generations of women in her family and how the founding document shaped their lives.
WHEN: May 3–June 2, 2024
WHERE: The Dorota & Kevin Kilstrom Theatre
In 1847, the Lehman brothers open a modest clothing shop in Alabama. But they have big dreams. They evolve as new opportunities arise. They capitalize on railroads, oil booms, personal computers, and, eventually, capital itself. They become so intertwined with the U.S. government and in the daily lives of millions of stakeholders that some begin to believe that Lehman Brothers, the institution, is too big to fail. Hailed as “a genuinely epic production” by The New York Times.
WHEN: May 4, 11 and 18, 2024
WHERE: Dairy Arts Center, Boulder
Whenever this team of buttoned-up librarians hears about a fantastic new book, they go wild. In each episode, buttons go flying as the MAD LIBrarians craft a new book title based on your suggestions and then—right before your very eyes—they act, sing, and shout that book out full-blast. Come visit the library that can’t ever keep quiet…no matter how hard its terribly serious and wonderfully silly librarians may try.
WHEN: May 4–June 1, 2024
WHERE: Miners Alley Playhouse, Golden
The Emperor loves his clothes! In fact, he cares more about his clothes than his people. Along come a pair of swindlers ready to take advantage of the gullible Emperor and his two town officials, and the story begins. Bring the kiddos and help the Emperor learn appearances are not everything and that honesty is the best policy.
WHEN: May 9–11, 2024
WHERE: JCC Denver’s Ranch Camp, Elbert
Hold onto your ukuleles! The annual Denver Ukefest is coming soon.
WHEN: May 11–12, 2024
WHERE: Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. “Bluey’s Big Play” is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets brought to real life.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square
Comedian Doug Benson is known for his popular podcasts (“Doug Loves Movies” and “Getting Doug With High”), his films (“Super High Me,” “The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled,” “Chronic-Con: Episode 420”), appearances on TV shows like “@midnight,” “The Trailer Park Boys” and “You’re The Worst,” and for presiding over “The High Court” as Judge Doug on Comedy Central. Tired of the same old Mother’s Day blah? This year, show Mom how much you love her with the incomparable Doug Benson and his traditional Denver Comedy Works Mother’s Day show! Doug is bringing his funniest friends to make sure Mom’s special day is filled with laughter and revelry.
WHEN: May 12, 2024
WHERE: Comedy Works South
Geoff Tice is a Denver-based comedian, writer, podcaster, actor and artist. He is a regular at the world-famous Comedy Works and has toured his upbeat, energetic style of stand-up comedy across the country. In addition to performing at festivals such as SF Sketchfest, High Plains Comedy Festival, Red Clay and Limestone, Geoff hosted Comedy Central’s South Park 25th Anniversary Tailgate two-day event at Red Rocks. Geoff has also appeared on Adult Swim and can be found in nationwide commercial campaigns. He is the co-host of the Grid Penalty podcast, a weekly Formula 1 podcast.
No summer in Denver is complete without at least one—or two, or five—trips to the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre , just 15 miles from downtown Denver. More than 70 million years in the making, the 9,450-seat venue is flanked by enormous 300-foot red sandstone rock formations and always boasts a star-studded musical schedule.
WHEN: Thru May 12, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This exhibition presents the work of the iconic 19th-century Mexican artist and lithographer whose illustrations of skeletal figures known as calaveras and catrinas have become an essential part of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Featuring a select set of Posada’s prints, including many of his most famous calaveras, Skeletal World also includes art that showcases his enduring legacy.
WHEN: Thru May 14, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This presentation showcases the work of Niki Hastings-McFall, a celebrated contemporary artist of Sāmoan and Pākehā descent who has been credited with shepherding contemporary Pacific art onto an international stage. Known for her large-scale and immersive “lei bombing” installations, she used hundreds of synthetic lei to create the installation. Her work is presented in dialogue with approximately 25 treasures from the DAM’s collection that illustrate regional historic arts alongside new innovations. This inaugural exhibition aims to dispel romantic notions of the Pacific Islands as a tourist’s paradise through a nuanced exploration of the area’s vibrant cultural landscape.
WHEN: Thru May 26, 2024
WHERE: MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Meandered features recent painting, drawing, sculpture and video works by Denver-based artist Steven J. Yazzie, whose work often reflects on his shifting perception of and relationship with the landscape. He draws inspiration from revisiting sites in the northern region of Arizona and New Mexico’s Navajo reservation (where Yazzie grew up) and locations in Colorado. Yazzie likens his recent practice to meandering fieldwork, where he begins his artistic research in the natural environment, allowing days-long trips into rural areas to intuitively inform how his multimedia works will unfold and take shape. Meandered is both a metaphor for Yazzie’s artistic process and a framework for exploring organic patterns or phenomena in nature.
WHEN: Thru May 26, 2024
WHERE: MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Marking the South Korean artist’s first museum solo exhibition, Ken Gun Min’s The Lost Paradise examines a major throughline in his work: landscapes and the natural world. Comprising recent, expansive paintings, the exhibition foregrounds Min’s use of real and imagined landscapes as the primary subject or idyllic setting through which to explore issues around race, gender, sexuality and the immigrant experience. These lushly rendered scenes, often embellished with embroidery and beading, depict the natural world as an enigmatic place ripe with beauty and the sublime, but also with turmoil, melancholy, and contradiction.
WHEN: Thru June 14, 2024
WHERE: Museum of Outdoor Arts, Greenwood Village
Nine emerging artist interns came together over the summer through MOA’s annual Design and Build Summer Internship Program to collaboratively create several unique, site-specific installations for Marjorie Park.
WHEN: Thru July 6, 2024
WHERE: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Colorado Springs
Over the course of his career, Clarence Shivers demonstrated a commitment to artistic experimentation, working across different media—both two- and three-dimensional—and cultivating a range of stylistic approaches. A Tuskegee Airman—and career military person—one of Shivers’ most celebrated works is his statue dedicated to these pilots and their legacies, located at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Shivers often returned to forms of portraiture, whether images of friends, families, musicians, civil rights leaders or others, and he represented his subjects with poignant and expressive insight. Shivers also created abstract works that demonstrate his ongoing exploration into geometric form, color and movement. This exhibition presents more than 30 works, paintings, prints and sculptures that offer an expansive view of the artist’s prolific career.
WHEN: Thru July 14, 2024
WHERE: Museo de las Americas
Museo de las Americas is honored to present this innovative exploration into contemporary LGBTQ+ Latinx artists’ diverse experiences. Through novel and traditional practices, 10 artists highlight the breadth and possibility of identity stemming from their experiences of double marginalization as Latinx and queer individuals.
WHEN: Thru July 14, 2024
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Transport yourself to the year 2180 at History Colorado Center’s new multi-sensory exhibition. Created in partnership with world-renowned artist Virgil Ortiz, a visionary hailing from Cochiti Pueblo, this unprecedented experience brings Indigenous Futurism to The Mile High City through a combination of history, science fiction, art, fashion and fantasy.
WHEN: Thru July 19, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Gio Ponti was one of the most inventive Italian architects and designers of his time. For more than 60 years, Ponti’s exuberant approach found expression in public and private commissions from buildings, interiors and furniture to glass, ceramics and flatware, influencing international design for more than 50 years.
WHEN: Thru July 21, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Vásquez de la Horra was born in 1967 in Viña Del Mar, Chile, growing up during Augusto Pinochet’s 17-year military regime and leaving her home nation to study in Germany in the 1990s. Her drawings often include symbols from different cultures, and her female figures perform contrasting roles in narratives that deal with freedom, spirituality and nature. Her works frequently show female bodies melding with surrealistic landscapes, and her practice is known for its poetic and artistic experimentation that weaves the absurd with the affirmation of affection and pleasure. The Awake Volcanoes highlights paintings, drawings and prints by Vásquez de la Horra, exploring notions of fantasy, desire, fear and pleasure to explore the relationship between the human body and the world around it.
WHEN: Thru July 28, 2024
WHERE: Denver Botanic Gardens
Learn about contemporary lithographic printmaking through artworks exploring the beauty of nature. Featuring color lithographs and process works from the University of Colorado Art Museum’s Sharkive, Process Makes Perfect presents works by Don Ed Hardy, Hung Liu, Emmi Whitehorse and Red Grooms. Through drawings, preparatory materials and test proofs displayed alongside the completed artworks, experience prints inspired by the natural world, and the unique artistic practices that went into creating them.
WHEN: Thru Aug. 15, 2024
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Focusing on the history of the Denver Broncos, this exhibition uses game-worn memorabilia from more than 60 years of Broncos history to explore fairytale seasons, epic comebacks, legendary players, and the heated rivalries of Colorado’s only National Football League franchise.
WHEN: Thru Sept. 1, 2024
WHERE: MCA DENVER — Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Gala Porras-Kim is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work questions how knowledge is acquired and tests the potential for artworks and objects to function as meaning-makers outside of traditional museum contexts. For this exhibition, Porras-Kim extends lines of questioning into conservation, preservation and care within institutional contexts to the broader natural world and lived environment. The artworks on view distill natural processes into sculptures, paintings and drawings that will grow, evolve or degrade throughout the span of the exhibition. From sculptures rendered with salt-saturated concrete or copal resin wetted with local rainwater to paintings created from slow drips of water drawing from the museum’s humidity and projections from light refractions off of brass panels, Porras-Kim’s work imagines what might be possible if natural forces and phenomenon had the agency to self-determine.
WHEN: Thru Oct. 20, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This exhibition was created from three projects photographer Fazal Sheikh made on the Colorado Plateau from 2017 to early 2023. Sheikh’s portraits and landscapes of displaced communities and marginalized people shed light on the far-reaching consequences of extractive industry and climate change. Through this beautiful and sometimes frightening new work, Sheikh encourages viewers to witness the consequences of the past and imagine the shape of the future.
WHEN: Thru Nov. 3, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Have a Seat: Mexican Chair Design Today is an interactive exhibition featuring three historical artworks, 17 contemporary seats designed by 22 Mexican artists, and a site-specific art installation. Through their pioneering designs, the artists embark on a journey through history and traditions, exploring the enduring legacy of the cross-cultural world that emerged in Mexico following the Spanish conquest, which incorporated elements of Indigenous, Asian, African and European cultures and continues to inspire new types of objects and furniture for the 21st century. Have a Seat showcases furniture by contemporary Mexican designers represented in the museum’s permanent collection, including Andrés Lhima, Cecilia León de la Barra, Daniel Valero, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, Jorge Diego Etienne and many more.
WHEN: Thru Nov. 12, 2024
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Using photos, video and first-hand personal accounts from the troops themselves, Winter Warriors: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II explores the history of the U.S. Army’s first winter warfare division from its training at Camp Hale in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains through their crucial breakthrough against the Nazi German Army in the mountains of Italy. This exhibition introduces a new generation of Coloradans to this incredible story of ingenuity, perseverance, heroism and sacrifice in a deeply personal way through hundreds of photos, accounts, videos and objects from the soldiers themselves.
WHEN: Thru Nov. 15, 2024
WHERE: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Trace the evolution of our beliefs about orcas, from fear to admiration and awe, as we discover their stunning intelligence and complex social structures. Meet a life-sized replica of an orca family as you listen to their soothing harmonies in an immersive underwater environment. Deepen your appreciation for the art of the Indigenous peoples of North America’s Northwest Coast. Discover stories that reveal a profound respect for orcas, highlighting the deep connection between humans and these powerful beings. Examine the global movement to protect our ocean ecosystems, reflect on the consequences of captivity and celebrate the future we share with the fascinating and awe-inspiring orca.
WHEN: Thru Dec. 1, 2024
WHERE: Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, Lakewood
How do you interact with your community? Historic Lakewood residents got involved with their local schools, agricultural organizations, outdoor youth movements and many other special interest groups. Discover how making a difference in the quality of life in our city has evolved over the past century.
WHEN: Thru Dec. 28, 2024
WHERE: Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery
“Entering a performance at Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery is like stepping through a looking glass and into a sci-fi wonderland. The gallery’s Lumonics Immersed installation was originally created by the late Dorothy and Mel Tanner, pioneering light artists whose singular style fuses elements of light, music and sculptures to produce captivating experiences for the audience.” – Denver Westword
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
This new exhibition features 60 objects from the museum’s permanent collection, two-thirds of which have never been shown. Throughout the museum’s history, textile arts have played a fundamental role in the development of its collecting philosophies and exhibition programs. The first textile entered the museum almost 100 years ago, and since that time, textile arts have been regular additions to the collection. Among the handful of early patrons, the Douglas Family of Evergreen, Colorado, emerged as the most steadfast donors of textiles. This exhibition highlights a selection of the family’s donations that demonstrates their celebration of traditional and living cultures and the value of exhibiting them together.
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: Museum of Illusions
Discover a brilliant collection of perspective-changing rooms, enthralling installations, and spellbinding images. The mesmerizing exhibits will teach you that nothing is ever quite as it seems, especially in the Museum of Illusions Denver.
WHEN: Thru Dec. 31, 2024
WHERE: History Colorado Center
Danielle SeeWalker is a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta citizen from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is an artist, writer, activist and boy mom of two, based in Denver. This exhibition uses storytelling to explore a variety of issues important to Indigenous peoples and communities. Striking nineteenth-century hair ornaments, beaded spoons and moccasins are paired with SeeWalker’s art in ways that illuminate censored and erased histories.
WHEN: Thru Jan. 1, 2025
WHERE: Denver Art Museum
Design is all around us. Whether it takes the form of objects and spaces, images and interactions, or systems and processes, design shapes our lives in fundamental ways. But what shapes design? A series of thematic installations drawn primarily from the architecture and design collection, By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects illustrates the abundance and versatility of approaches to design.
WHEN: Thru Jan. 27, 2025
WHERE: History Colorado Center
This exhibition focuses on the many uses and importance of the Colorado River, taking visitors inside majestic canyons and atop the most awe-inspiring vistas along the Yampa, Gunnison and Dolores Rivers as they flow toward their confluence with the Colorado. Flow: On the River with John Fielder features a number of iconic large-format Fielder prints, as well as quotes from the renowned landscape photographer gathered carefully from his publications and interviews over the years.
WHEN: Thru March 30, 2025
WHERE: Center for Colorado Women’s History
Rumors of Bloomers explores women’s experiences as expressed through undergarments. Using rarely displayed objects – such as corsets, bloomers, swimming costumes, petticoats and Mother Hubbard gowns – the exhibition highlights the ways “unmentionables” have given form and shape to bodies, while also expressing identity, autonomy, agency, and protest.
WHEN: May 10, 2024
WHERE: Stockyards Event Center
BYB Bareknuckle returns to Denver’s Stockyards Event Center! Two of BYB’s biggest stars clash in the Trigon when BYB Super Middleweight champion LT “Smash” Nelson takes on “The Samurai,” hard-hitting Tommy Turner.
WHEN: May 10–12, 2024
WHERE: Coors Field – Home of the Colorado Rockies
Grab Mom and come cheer on the Rockies as they take on the Texas Rangers in a three-game home series.
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City
Is Mom a soccer fan? Then head to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park this Mother’s Day weekend to watch the Colorado Rapids take on the San Jose Earthquakes.
WHEN: May 11, 2024
WHERE: Washington Park Early Learning Center
Immerse yourself in a delightful blend of yoga poses and enchanting melodies, where movement is synchronized with the rhythm of live orchestral music. Designed for ages 3 and up, this energizing yoga session is suitable for the whole family and features live music to enhance relaxation and elevate your practice and a child-friendly introduction to social/emotional concepts such as self-management, self-awareness, emotional articulation and more. Bring your own mats, towel, water bottle and any yoga essentials needed.
WHEN: May 12. 2024
WHERE: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
This flowing vinyasa-style class takes place at the iconic Red Rocks park. Meet in the amphitheater for class and then join for the optional group hike after. This class is an all-levels, slower-flow style of yoga, and the optional hike is 1.5 miles long with an elevation gain of approximately 360’ and is rated moderate. The group takes breaks when needed and keeps a pace that is comfortable for everyone. All classes are weather dependent, so sign up on the waitlist, and when the weather gives us the clear, you’ll be booked in!
Gov. Jared Polis signed “for-cause” eviction protections into law Friday, making Colorado the sixth U.S. state to enact the policy that’s aimed at blunting displacement of vulnerable tenants.
The law, passed by the legislature late last month, effectively gives tenants a right of first refusal to renew their leases. That protection, supporters say, will insulate renters from discriminatory or retaliatory nonrenewals from landlords, who may want to rid themselves of a tenant who complained about an apartment’s condition.
“This is the right thing to do,” said Democratic Rep. Javier Mabrey, who sponsored the bill this year with House Majority Leader Monica Duran and Democratic Sens. Julie Gonzales and Nick Hinrichsen. “In working on this legislation, we heard from families who have seen firsthand the lack of basic protections can have on families … who are removed based on the color of their skin or because they’ve made valid complaints about problems in their homes.”
Broadly, the new law gives tenants a right of first refusal on whether to renew their lease or not. State law already requires cause — like failure to pay rent — before a tenant can be evicted during their lease. This new law covers the expiration of that lease and who gets to decide whether to renew it.
The law is among the most significant tenant protections passed in Colorado in recent memory, as lawmakers seek solutions to the state’s housing crisis and the tens of thousands of evictions it causes every year.
While Polis has pursued land-use reforms that seek to spur denser development, progressive lawmakers have sought more immediate protections to reduce evictions and displacements.
The for-cause evictions bill represented the most prominent policy within that approach, which also included efforts to improve the safety of housing, improve tenants’ access to eviction proceedings and regulate the contents and requirements of lease agreements.
Like Polis’ land-use measures, the for-cause bill’s passage has been a months-long fight.
Last year, a similar but more sweeping version of the bill, also backed by Mabrey and Gonzales, cleared the House but stalled in the Senate amid opposition from moderate Democrats.
That attempt died a procedural death on the penultimate day of the 2023 legislative session, as Mabrey and other supporters watched on from the Senate lobby. Its death sparked criticism from progressive legislators and advocates that state leaders hadn’t prioritized renters or done enough to protect them.
This year, lawmakers brought a more narrowly tailored version of the policy, removing more controversial elements like a requirement that landlords pay tenants’ relocation costs in some circumstances. Duran, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, joined as a co-sponsor, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie declared that the policy was a priority of the chamber during her opening-day remarks in January.
Still, supporters had to fend off opposition from landlord groups and legislative Republicans, as well as a late attempt by some senate Democrats to hijack the bill.
“We did everything we possibly could to make sure we could get this to the finish line, so that our members and our working families and our renters who are (from minority groups), who are impacted by the evictions and displacements, could have these protections,” Cesiah Guadarrama Trejo, the co-chair of Colorado Homes for All, the coalition backing the bill, said after the vote.
Proponents’ goal is to reduce displacement of renters. The right of first refusal offered by the for-cause protections is important, those supporters argue, because landlords can use expiring leases to displace tenants for a variety of nefarious reasons, like for discriminatory purposes or if a tenant has complained about an apartment’s condition. Mabrey, an eviction defense attorney, has said he represented a tenant who faced explicit racial discrimination and was displaced by her landlord.
A nonrenewal then requires tenants to pay the upfront costs of relocating, like deposits, application fees or moving costs. Meanwhile, landlords and property owners who’ve opposed the bill have argued that an expiring lease lets them move on from “problem” tenants they can’t otherwise evict.
Yep. The law gives property owners and landlords various reasons to pull the plug on a lease renewal. Those exemptions include if the property owner is planning to demolish or substantially renovate the unit, if they or a family member want to move into the unit themselves, or if they intend to take it off the long-term rental market.
Other exemptions include the tenant refusing to sign a new lease, or if the tenant has a history of not paying rent in the past. The bill does prevent property owners from increasing rent to retaliate against a tenant or otherwise get around the law’s protections.
Another luxury complex is stretching Denver’s apartment market even further as the city’s record construction pipeline, which already leads the nation, is pushing developers to compete for tenants.
Multifamily giant Greystar, alongside global investment group Ivanhoé Cambridge and PSP Investments, one of Canada’s largest pension investment managers, completed work on a 230-unit apartment project in the city’s Five Points neighborhood, a fast-growing pocket that has attracted the bulk of new construction activity that has landed in the region over the past several years.
Known as The Dorsey, the 13-story property at 600 Park Ave. W touts amenities such as a sun deck, high-end fitness center, coworking and lounge spaces, and a wellness studio, all in a location the development team bets will be especially attractive to prospective renters thanks to its proximity to the local restaurant scene as well as multiple transit routes.
Yet even with perks such as free Wi-Fi for each unit and on-site office space rentals if residents need a separate workspace, The Dorsey is launching in an area that has consistently ranked among the top neighborhoods in the United States for construction activity over the past decade, said Jeannie Tobin, CoStar’s director of market analytics.
The neighborhood’s supply of apartments has ballooned by about 50% throughout that period, and with another 7,200 units still underway, the current pipeline is near an all-time high and will expand inventory by another 12.2%, CoStar projects.
The Dorsey broke ground in April 2021 alongside other projects that collectively are slated to add upward of 4,050 units once completed, according to CoStar data.
Denver isn’t alone in struggling to balance pandemic-era construction booms with waning demand. More than 583,000 new units were completed across the country last year, the highest number of units since the mid-1980s, according to CoStar analysis. That supply burst outstripped demand, pushing the national vacancy rate past 7.5% by year-end 2023 from the 6.5% reported at the start of the year.
Rent growth has slowed significantly as cities struggle to digest the influx of new apartment projects. That is especially true in Sun Belt markets that experienced an unprecedented population boom throughout the pandemic. Rents in both Austin, Texas, and Orlando, Florida, fell by roughly 5% last year, according to CoStar data, and the vacancy rate in Raleigh, North Carolina, jumped from about 8.5% to just shy of 12% over the past 12 months.
Bottom line: Developers with incoming projects are now scrambling to fill them.
From The Dorsey to other recently completed multifamily projects in the city, such as Hines’ 397-unit Mica RiNo and One River North at 3930 Blake St., developers and landlords — especially those with luxury properties — know renters have a lot of options to choose from and are offering concession packages in an effort to win over prospective leases.
About a third of the multifamily properties scattered across the greater downtown Denver area are offering some kind of incentive for new leases, Tobin said. Renters are most likely to find concessions in new construction complexes during the lease-up phase when up to six weeks of free rent has become the standard.
As new construction continues to outweigh demand, however, those free-rent periods are already getting longer and longer. The Dorsey, for example, is offering up to 12 complimentary weeks, according to the property’s website, a significant savings for future tenants considering rents at the Five Points complex are slated to be among some of the highest in the city.
A typical unit at The Dorsey is expected to command more than $2,400 per month, according to CoStar data. By comparison, rates across greater Denver average less than $1,850 a month.
Capital is expensive and financing standards have tightened, but for some of the nation’s fastest-growing markets, investors are still willing to chase after multifamily deals.
Real estate investment manager Inland Private Capital is the latest seller able to leverage the rising demand after finalizing a $67.7 million sale of an apartment complex it acquired more than half a decade ago in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Northland, a Massachusetts-based real estate private equity firm that has been chasing population growth, was the buyer in the deal for the Estate at Woodmen Ridge complex.
The property at 5520 Woodmen Ridge View is Northland’s second Colorado multifamily acquisition and adds another 260 units to the firm’s expanding portfolio.
While the investment is Northland’s first in the Colorado Springs region, the firm said it won’t be the last.
“We are committed to expanding our portfolio in the region,” Everett Palozej, Northland’s director of investments, said in a statement. “Colorado Springs continues to be a very attractive city for both employers and residents due to the market’s educated talent pool, low cost of living and high quality of life. We see these factors as key drivers of long-term economic growth.”
The deal, which was confirmed by Inland, closed late last month at a price tag just shy of $260,400 per unit.
To compare, the average per-unit price among other multifamily deals that closed in the Colorado Springs area over the past year has been about $237,700 per unit, according to CoStar data. That figure has steadily dropped as a result of the challenged investment climate in which buyers, facing higher borrowing costs and stricter lending standards, have found it increasingly difficult to find deals that can pencil out.
For Colorado Springs, that has meant values have fallen as the cost of debt has climbed, CoStar Director of Market Analytics Jeannie Tobin said, meaning multifamily owners have chosen to hold on to their properties and wait out some of the current challenges.
Higher-end, well-leased properties in prime locations have proven to be an anomaly, however, with buyers proving themselves willing to shell out a premium to position themselves for what they bet will be an imminent rebound.
Los Angeles firm Benedict Canyon Equities, for example, last year dropped $82.2 million to acquire Bellaire Ranch, a two-property multifamily portfolio that included the main 240-unit complex at 4275 Sanders View Drive and the newer Alturas at Bellaire Ranch portion, which has another 60 units at 1130 Bell Tower Heights. The deal shook out to just shy of $275,000 per unit, according to CoStar data.
Alongside a record spike in rents and leasing momentum, Colorado Springs has become especially popular among investors, developers and tenants for its location about an hour south of Denver and proximity to major employers such as Lockheed Martin, United Health Group, Progressive Insurance, Oracle, T. Rowe Price Group and USAA, all of which have fueled the city’s multifamily market.
Rents at the Estate at Woodmen Ridge complex average about $1,775 per month, according to CoStar data, a healthy increase compared to the roughly $1,330 per-month average back when Inland acquired the property in 2017.
The Colorado Springs deal extends a recent buying streak for Northland, which targets regions for their “long-term potential” and focuses on “high-growth, low-tax markets with strong economic trajectories [and] strong affordability and cultural appeal,” according to the firm’s website. Its existing multifamily portfolio spans upward of 80 properties in states such as Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Minnesota.
Unemployment is rising but still historically low, jobs remain plentiful in most industries, wages are up and the economy has withstood blow after blow without rolling over. So why does a sense of gloom pervade about where the economy is at and where it is headed?
Blame inflation and high housing costs for the sense of malaise, said Henry Sobanet, chief financial officer and senior vice chancellor for administration and government relations at the Colorado State University Systems, at the 2024 Economic Forecast hosted by Vectra Bank in Denver on Thursday.
“People feel like their dollar is not going as far as it used to,” said Sobanet, a longtime student of the Colorado economy at both the Colorado Legislative Council and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting.
There is also a sense that the state might be entering a different era. Between 1990 and 2020, Colorado enjoyed job gains and population gains topping 70% versus increases nationally that ran closer to 30%. Colorado’s didn’t just run ahead of the rest of the country, it lapped it.
Most of those gains, however, were front-loaded in the first two decades when resources like water and developable land were more abundant, housing costs were lower and the state was perceived as being more business-friendly, Sobanet said.
Growth slowed last decade, even if it didn’t feel like it, and this decade it has come to a virtual standstill. Long accustomed to being an economic leader, Colorado found itself in the uncomfortable spot of being a laggard last year.
“What we had that drove this (growth) might not still be here,” Sobanet said.
Yet, the Colorado economy continues to chug along, despite higher interest rates and inflation, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, the tech slowdown, and relatively high housing costs.
The ColoradoCast for the first quarter from the Colorado Futures Center at CSU predicts the Colorado economy will continue to grow modestly this year, about 2%, and gain momentum in the coming months.
Slower job gains in 2023 in Colorado indicate that the state is now underperforming the U.S. economy. But after struggling last year, the housing market is showing signs of rebounding.
“If housing in the early part of 2024 continues to regain momentum, the economy can be expected to continue to maintain strength into the year,” according to the report.
Nick Sly, vice president and Denver Branch Executive with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, noted at the Vectra forecast lunch that inflationary pressures are easing in several areas and that the once tight labor market is loosening.
Fed surveys of employers in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, found that a smaller share, 25% at the end of 2023 versus 60% in 2022, plan wage hikes in the next 12 months. Fewer are looking to expand their workforce and about a fifth of respondents said they plan to shrink it.
A gap has also emerged between growth in hourly earnings and weekly earnings, Sly said, as employers switch away from offering overtime hours and shift more employees to part-time work.
Commercial real estate (CRE) poses one of the greatest risks to continued growth in the U.S. economy this year, Sly said, before unveiling a new CRE index for the region that the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has developed.
The value of the index fell from -0.8 in the third quarter to -1.3 in the fourth, with a reading of zero indicating activity that matches historical norms. The index got as low as -2.5 during the financial crisis in 2008 and took a hit early in the pandemic before rebounding.
The index covers office buildings, which facing unprecedented weakness; apartments, which are peaking out; retail space and hotels, which have rebounded since the pandemic and industrial, which remains strong but is slowing.
As office leases roll over, tenants are leaving or asking for less space and demanding lower lease rates, which is putting additional pressure on landlords. Local and regional banks have a heavier concentration of CRE loans in their portfolios than the large national banks, which leaves them vulnerable as well.
WINCHESTER EQUITIES
Municipalities have long used incentives to spur investments they hope to see in their cities, or to solve for a persistent problem they’ve deemed requires private-sector participation.
Now, city officials are introducing or expanding upon programs to encourage office-to-residential conversion projects in America’s downtowns in the wake of a weak post-pandemic office market. With the national office vacancy rate hitting a record 19.6% at the end of the fourth quarter, and a key source of tax revenue dwindling as office building values decline, it’s become a top priority for elected officials and economic developers to figure out how to make more conversion projects happen.
The projects aren’t easy.
Based on physical characteristics alone, it’s estimated that 60% of office buildings are poor candidates for conversion to residential use, according to a 2021 algorithm developed by design and architecture firm Gensler. There’s also the state of financing on the building in question, the kind of investment that’ll be needed to bring the building to a new use, and how much a nearly empty office building could trade for. Developers frequently say it needs to trade at a deep discount if it’s earmarked for conversion.
Still, the desire to see more housing — and to see obsolete office buildings reimagined to make them revenue-generators once more — is top of mind nationwide. Affordability continues to be a serious challenge for homeowners, with the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home up 96% from early 2020, according to Zillow Group Inc. data. That’s thanks to rapidly rising mortgage rates since 2022 and record-high home-price appreciation during the pandemic. And, while the rental market has slowed, many U.S. metros saw double-digit percentage gains in rental-housing costs during the pandemic, and a record-high 22.4 million renting households are considered cost-burdened.
To spur office conversions, mechanisms like tax-increment financing, tax abatements and tax waivers are being proposed or are already in play in cities across the country as ways to reduce the cost of converting office buildings into housing or other private-sector uses, such as a hotel, lab or data center
While incentives are typically viewed as deal-sweeteners, those working on conversion projects today argue they’re more of a necessity than a bonus for a lot of conversions to make sense, especially given the current capital markets.
“It’s absolutely critical,” said Steven Paynter, building transformation and adaptive-reuse leader at Gensler. “There are very few other options to getting these projects moving at the moment at any kind of scale. The high interest rate on, especially, construction lending … is a dealbreaker for the projects.”
CBRE Group Inc.’s data on conversions shows an uptick in the number of office conversions underway nationwide since the Covid-19 pandemic but no evidence of a windfall, said Julie Whelan, global head of occupier thought leadership at CBRE.
“We know more housing is needed,” Whelan said. “It’s just that fulfilling that demand in the way that it needs to be fulfilled is very difficult to make work when you’re putting numbers down on paper.”
The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) had similar findings in a recent analysis it did on the financial feasibility of converting office buildings into residential units. It found about 0.4% of office space had been converted into multifamily units on an annual basis before the pandemic, which rose only to 0.5% in 2023.
In many conversions, either the housing being added into a former office building has to rent or sell at a certain price (usually top-of-market), or the upfront basis — the cost of purchasing the building — has to be low enough that the project makes sense financially, Whelan said.
That’s difficult in many cities because office building trades haven’t necessarily reached those ultra-low levels yet. So, without aggressive incentives at the municipal level, a lot of conversions won’t pencil, Whelan said.
At the same time, she added, most downtowns aren’t lacking in luxury housing. Instead, affordable housing is what’s badly needed, and that usually requires some degree of subsidy, even for a traditional, ground-up development.
Goldman Sachs, using a discounted cash-flow model, also found current acquisition costs for struggling office towers are still too high for a conversion into a multifamily building to be financially feasible because of how much it costs to do that conversion.
Nationally, the average price of what Goldman deems as nonviable office buildings — those built before 1990, haven’t been renovated since 2000 and have a vacancy rate higher than 30% — has fallen 11% since 2019. In the hardest-hit cities, average transaction prices have declined by 15% to 35%.
If an office building is acquired for $307 per square foot (the average transaction price of nonviable offices, according to Goldman’s model) and the cost to convert it to a new use is $280 per square foot (slightly above average for a typical conversion cost), that project would result in a $164 loss per square foot if high-end multifamily units added in that building are rented at $4.50 per square foot. That means current office prices would need to fall by about 50%, or about $154 per square feet, for conversion costs to pencil, according to Goldman.
On the financing side, there’s a limit right now on banks’ willingness to lend to commercial projects, Paynter said. He added that the risk tolerance among lenders to take on conversion projects, which can come with unexpected costs and delays, has also been diminished.
Many capital sources won’t invest in a conversion until it’s significantly underway or close to completion. A five-story office building in downtown Newark, New Jersey, that’s being converted into a 92-unit residential development recently obtained a $22 million loan from Northwind Group. It was underwritten at the 70% or 80% completion stage, said Ran Eliasaf, founder and managing principal at Northwind.
“A conversion is a complicated execution,” he said. “It typically takes longer and costs more than what developers underwrite.”
Federal incentives available for conversion projects
In October, the White House issued guidance on how existing federal programs could be leveraged in the conversion of office buildings into other types of development, especially housing. The guidance includes programs from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the General Services Administration.
Developers say while the programs are a good start, being able to put those incentives to work is another matter.
Paynter said the spirit of the guidebook is a good one, but there are a lot of fine-grain details and challenges in figuring out what the rules are for applying those programs to conversion projects.
“Because these programs weren’t really set up to deal with housing creation, there are some oddball requirements,” Paynter said. “It’s not as simple as everyone had hoped.”
Some developers are concerned about how long it might take to put that capital to work even if their deals qualify for any of the programs.
Since the pandemic, Keystone Development and Investment has waded into the conversion game. The West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, company historically has been a significant office investor. It recently completed a conversion of the historic Curtis building in center city Philadelphia into life sciences space. It now is pursuing a conversion of several floors at The Washington — another historic building in Philadelphia — into luxury housing, in addition to converting a suburban office building it owns on a mall property in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, into housing.
KEYSTONE DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT
Michael Brookshier, vice president of development at Keystone, said the company to date has leveraged traditional tools such as state historic tax credits for its conversions. But with higher interest rates and construction costs, new and different types of incentives are being considered by the developer.
Among the incentives offered in the White House guidance, Keystone is considering two DOT programs. Brookshier said that’s primarily because those programs don’t carry an affordable-housing requirement — Keystone is developing market-rate housing in its conversion deals — and many of the firm’s properties are close to mass transit, with the DOT programs specifically intended to incentivize new housing near transportation.
Echoing Paynter, Brookshier said because the programs are newly being used for housing conversions, everybody is still figuring out how they’re going to work. And with 2024 being a presidential election year, there’s potential risk the programs could go away if there’s a change in administration after November.
But the biggest challenge Brookshier sees with leveraging federal incentives for conversions is the time it could take for them to be deployed for projects his firm is pursuing right now. From letter of intent to closing on the financing, that could take 12 to 18 months, he said.
“I have a project I’d like to close on in March and June of this year, so [that] doesn’t work from a timing perspective,” Brookshier said. “On the flip side, there are projects I’d like to build in the future, so maybe I should get the application in so I have things in process … but at that point, you’re predicting the future.”
It also would be useful if there were one simple process to submit applications for federal incentives being offered, Paynter said.
Eric Stavriotis, vice chairman of advisory and transaction services and leader of the location incentives group at CBRE, said it’s most helpful when a developer can sift through a basket of incentives to figure out which ones make the most sense for their particular project. That could range from a tax-increment financing structure to the ability to use city transportation dollars at a former office site so as to make the property more accessible for residents instead of daytime office workers.
From conversations with CBRE clients, Stavriotis said it doesn’t seem the federal guidance alone is spurring deals.
“The old axiom applies here: All politics are local,” Stavriotis said. “Most of what we’re seeing nationally is that the assistance that is moving the needle for a developer — usually a private developer that’s looking to do a project — is oftentimes more local in nature than federal.”
Federal money can be an important part of a project capital stack, but many of those funds are channeled through the state or local level, even if it has federal origin, Stavriotis said.
Local and state officials propose incentives
San Francisco arguably has one of the nation’s bigger office-market problems. That metro’s office market ended 2023 with an eye-popping record-high vacancy rate of 35.6%, according to CBRE. Yet conversions haven’t taken off in San Francisco, even with 12 out of 36 buildings in the city’s downtown having been identified as good candidates for conversion, according to a 2022 study by Gensler.
Local developers and land-use attorneys say a number of initiatives have been proposed at the state and local level to try and spur those projects, but more is needed.
“This is classic economic development,” said Jack Sylvan, founder and principal of SDG LLC and the director of think tank San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). “The public invests in order to catalyze the private development, and that’s what San Francisco needs in this moment.”
Voters earlier this month were asked to weigh in on a measure known as Proposition C. If approved, the measure would waive a San Francisco transfer tax for projects that convert office buildings into housing.
But even before the vote, Prop C was deemed in an economic-impact report by the city controller’s office to be a largely insignificant measure to spur conversions. It determined the cost savings from waiving the transfer tax for those projects would be worth about $33,500 per unit for apartment projects and $9,000 per unit for condo projects, the San Francisco Business Times reported. It also projected it would take the city 29 years and 102 years, respectively, to recoup the revenue it foregoes from waiving the transfer tax in those projects.
As of last week, the outcome on Prop C was still too close to call, although “yes” votes had a slight edge.
Speaking ahead of the March 5 voting, Sylvan said it’s not that waiving the transfer tax itself will lead to a lot of conversions. Rather, it’s just one of many tools needed to make conversions feasible.
Sylvan said he’s estimated that between legislation passed by the city of San Francisco last summer that streamlined planning requirements and Prop C, if it were to pass, those measures would solve about one-quarter of the feasibility gap per unit in conversion deals. SPUR estimates there is a current feasibility gap of $267,000 per unit.
Another measure being closely watched in San Francisco and elsewhere in California is at the state level.
California Sen. Scott Wiener last month introduced State Bill 1227 that would give developers converting office buildings into new uses in downtown San Francisco a temporary exemption from the state’s Environmental Quality Act and also would expand a tax exemption for those projects from strictly affordable housing to also include workforce housing.
Sylvan said the measures collectively “are no silver bullet” but they start to unlock the potential for projects to begin and for capital to be reinvested in downtown San Francisco real estate.
“If you’re waiving fees, you’re waiving fees that would never be charged because nobody is doing anything with that building,” Sylvan said. “It’s basically foregoing [a tax] that [the city] would never have collected. It doesn’t exist but for the conversion.
“To me, that’s the most important piece of the policy conversation,” he said. “Yes, you are providing an incentive, but the city isn’t giving anything up because it wasn’t going to get anything [if] a building sits [empty].”
Conversions call for more than incentives
Beyond financial considerations, San Francisco is not unlike other U.S. cities in having inclusionary housing requirements that Sylvan said could be a barrier for conversions. That means even if more incentives become available, it could still be a challenge to get conversion deals done without policy changes, he said.
Other requirements can add cost and risk to conversion efforts. For example, converting an office building to a residential use may trigger earthquake-related code requirements, which could necessitate significant seismic upgrades, said Caroline Chase, a partner at law firm Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, who specializes in land-use law.
“That would likely include a substantial seismic upfit [and] that could hinder projects from moving forward,” she said.
She added that SB 1227 has prevailing-wage and skilled/trained workforce requirements associated with it that could create challenges and added costs for construction workforce.
The hurdles to converting office buildings in San Francisco into new uses are but one example in one city — albeit one of the more challenging markets to turn obsolete office inventory into new uses. But what’s stymying projects there illustrates how policy and regulation change are a significant piece of the puzzle in getting conversions anywhere in the U.S. across the finish line.
In some places, it’s simply how long it takes to get a project through a city land-use and planning department. Those focused on downtown revitalization and development say making that process more streamlined is one way to get projects approved quicker and provide greater certainty to developers embarking on already risky conversion deals.
Nolan Marshall, executive director of the South Park Business Improvement District in Los Angeles, said in a recent interview a lot of municipalities have struggled to streamline their regulation process.
“You have to disentangle the process and make it easier for people to get permits for capital to flow in your community, and flow in a fast way,” Marshall said. “It’s challenging enough to figure out how to do a conversion from an office building to a residential building. If it takes a developer 12 months in L.A. — and that’s being optimistic — [and] it takes them five months in Austin, Texas, that capital will flow to Austin, Texas.”
Paynter said state and local governments have the ability to move more effectively and quickly than the federal government, even if they are smaller-scale efforts. But in many places, he said, local programs on the whole are overly complicated.
Both Paynter and Whelan cited Calgary, Alberta, Canada as an example of a government with a relatively simple conversions program, including the clarity that’s provided around incentives.
Calgary says it currently has 13 office buildings actively being converted, and four under review, into new uses. In cities across the U.S., there were only 42 office conversions actively underway in September that were expected to be finished in 2024, according to CBRE.
“In talking to developers, the two terms that come to mind are certainty and ease,” Whelan said. “The lack of certainty in this whole process, given the risk and expertise associated with these projects, is holding some developers back from doing these projects.”
