06-26-24 *INTERVIEW* Denver Mayor Mike Johnston Talks 16th Street Reopening

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Down here for reopening Block two.So why don't you just tell folks why
you're here. Yeah, we aresuper excited. We just opened Block two
of the Sixteenth Street Mall today andso obviously a construction of going out here
the last couple of years and whatit's going to be such an exciting revival
of downtown. And so today wehave the grand opening of block too.
We got vendors out on the streets, we got music, we got restaurants
and bars all open. So we'reencouraging everybody to come back downtown. Remember

(00:22):
what you loved about downtown, becauseit is at its best. You know,
when I moved to Colorado about twentyyears ago, and this is kind
of how Sixteenth Street Mall felt tome. That really and this it feels
like old school Sixteenth Street Mall.Do you And this is a special thing
because the mayor is here and yougot the brass band and you got Bernie.
But is your anticipation that when thisis all done, that Sixteenth Street

(00:46):
Mall can recover its former glory,not only recover, but I think actually
exceeded. I think it's going tobe a whole new twenty first century versus
sixt and stream Mall. I lovesixteen Shot Mall in the eighties and the
nineties and Ice come down here andplay chess on these tables at night too.
But I think what this is goingto be is an incredible activated public
space where they'll be music, they'llbe arts, they'll be stores, they'll

(01:07):
be open patios, you can sitand have a beer, you can have
great food, you can find shopsyou can only find in Denver. It's
going to be like the heart ofall that's best about the city right here
in one downtown And we couldn't bemore excited for it. Is there going
to be a big picture thing fromDenver Tourism or however that part of government
works that's going to start talking aboutSixteenth Street Mall as come to Denver here

(01:30):
on Sixteenth Street Mall. We're literallyalready doing it. We work with Visit
Denver, who's our tourism ministry.Here I'm met with the heads of all
the largest conference recruiters in the countrywho are getting ready to book conferences in
twenty six and twenty seven. Theywant to come to downtown. People that
are coming for a three day getaway. You're looking for a place to take
your wife for the weekend. Yeah, they want to come to Denver.
And for people that have businesses thatsay, you know what, actually,

(01:51):
I want my business back in downtownagain. This is such a vibran place.
I want to be there. That'swhat we're going to build here.
And we're really fired up about it. I mean, I think you and
I and everybody feel a little bitbatter for some of the businesses that have
kind of struggled just to stay openwhile all this construction is going on.
I know you guys have done whatyou can to help the businesses. What
does the timing look like to getmore of sixteenth Street ball open? I

(02:12):
mean, the amazing thing is wehave not lost a single local business on
the entire sixteen mall during the construction, which is a testament to Denver rights
and how much they still support businesseseven when it's hard to get down here.
But this is a huge moment forthem. They have their doors open,
they have their staff back. Wewant to have everyone come back down
and support them. But yeah,this is the rolling open. We have
the first two blocks open. Nowit's down by Larimer Square, Writer Squares.
You remember, you know Cheesecake Factory, Mellow Mushroom, blew a guy

(02:35):
by, all those places you love. We will keep opening blocks every month
or two over the next nine months, and by next Memorial Day, which
is next May, the entire mallwill be opened. So by next summer
the whole thing from Union Station upto Civic Center will be ready to go.
But we'll have a big chunk tocome open this fall, kind of
another winter Christmas type opening, andthen we'll have next spring will be the

(02:57):
grand opening of all of that.So we're really excited. But this is
a huge step forward. Are yougoing to have a brass band for every
block? We do have this greattradition. We call it the golden Door.
We know, if your posies aren'there, there's a giant, fifteen
foot tall golden door and we walkedthrough it every we opened a new block,
so we will have that tradition.Yeah, you know, we got
the Conky's here with We've got theNuggets in the Aves, they have some
sites here. It's a lot ofgreat local businesses. So yeah, we're

(03:17):
going to celebrate every single block becauseit's it's going to be big for the
city. Well, I know,you got to get onto your next thing.
Now, I'm delighting you. Thankyou to jose and your staff.
We're bringing you. It's always greatto see smash Burger pajamas. If you
oh my gosh, is that whatthose are? Those are? He definitely
wants to Smasha pajama. Take somesmash Burger pajamas. Thanks, all right,
I'm not very great to see youwith questions on other things because this

(03:38):
is just a fun day. Well, we'll come back and do that next
time. Yeah, thanks for joiningus. We're not rather good to see
you there.