What Does Denver's New City Council Mean For CRE? It's Anybody's Guess

Denver’s rapidly growing population has kept development booming in the city throughout Mayor Michael Hancock’s two terms in office.

But on July 15, five new City Council members — including three who defeated incumbents — will be sworn in, changing the makeup of a board that largely backed Hancock’s agenda.

Observers say the jury is still out as to how the changes to the council will play out. Some doubt much will change, while others believe that new blood could go a long way toward solving challenges around affordable housing, mobility and the environment.

“As a developer, I don’t see that the new City Council members are anything but good since it seems as if they are critically focused on finding a balance of affordable housing, mobility, economic uplift and real estate development,” Zocalo Community Development principal and CEO David Zucker said. “In a changing political environment, having more voices is an important thing.”

Zeppelin Development President Kyle Zeppelin is in the camp that not much will change with the new council members. He said they may scrutinize projects more closely than the outgoing council but because of the city’s strong mayoral government and Blueprint Denver, which guides the city’s planning process, current development patterns will likely hold steady.

Zeppelin said the number of large-scale projects in the city does little to help the general public by improving infrastructure or providing affordable housing. 

“What the election said is it’s more of the same,” Zeppelin said. “We continue to go backwards on the cost of housing, and there’s no end in sight. There’s a problem with profiteering and cronyism. You can’t do this many major projects and not produce for the public. The city needs everybody to contribute in the ways that they can.”

The new members largely ran campaigns focused on slowing the pace of development and ensuring that what is built includes affordable housing. Denver's development boom has done little to alleviate the rising cost of housing, which has become an important part of local political campaigns and even factors into the presidential election.

“We congratulate the new members of Denver City Council and look forward to working with them as we craft a deliberate and intentional development strategy going forward," McWhinney co-founder and CEO Chad McWhinney said. "McWhinney has always prided itself on a collaborative, thoughtful and responsible process behind our work and we intend to continue this going forward.” 

In District 9, where much of Denver’s redevelopment has occurred, social justice activist Candi CdeBaca ousted incumbent Albus Brooks, a Hancock ally. The district includes Five Points, Lower Downtown, Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Whittier, River North, Auraria, Cole, Clayton, Cole, City Park and City Park West.

CdeBaca’s campaign platform focused on improving housing and wages, traffic and pollution. She has said she wants neighborhoods to have greater control over the development process and was a leader in the fight against the expansion of Interstate 70, which is currently under construction. In 2017, CdeBaca opposed the city’s $937M bonds package that funded roads, parks, libraries and cultural facilities because it maxes out the city's credit and housing was not included. She also opposed a rezoning proposal Brooks put before the council unless a grocery store was guaranteed in a binding legal document.

In District 10, disability rights activist Chris Hinds defeated Wayne New, who held the seat for four years. Hinds has said he believes New didn’t pay close enough attention to the west side of the district, which includes North Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill, Civic Center, Cheesman Park, Cherry Creek and Country Club. Hinds made a campaign promise of putting the needs of neighborhoods over the desires of developers. He promised affordable housing, better transportation and 20-minute neighborhoods where everything is reachable within a 20-minute walk.

“I love the fact that he’s focused on mobility and affordable housing,” Zucker said. “I think he was elected because it’s clear he’s grappling thoughtfully with the same complicated issues of growth and affordable housing equity in a district that has such disparate incomes.”

Amanda Sawyer beat incumbent Mary Beth Susman on a platform of curbing denser development on the east side of District 5, which includes East Colfax, Hale, Hilltop, Lowry, Montclair and Windsor. Sawyer decided to run because of a Hilltop project that Susman supported. Ultimately, council did not approve the project, which would have brought more density to the neighborhood.

Susman wanted to alleviate the city’s housing shortage by building dense housing in traditionally single-family neighborhoods. Sawyer has said District 5 is near its capacity and needs to improve traffic, safety and sidewalks before it can support more growth.

Immigrant rights advocate Jamie Torres won an open race in District 3, which includes the gentrifying Latino neighborhoods of Barnum, Barnum West and Westwood. Among Torres’ priorities are affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and public safety.

In District 1, Amanda Sandoval defeated Mike Somma to fill the seat vacated by her former boss Rafael Espinoza, who chose not to seek re-election. The district includes the Highland, Sunnyside, Sloan’s Lake, West Highland, Berkeley, Chaffee Park, Jefferson Park and part of West Colfax neighborhoods — areas in northwest Denver that have seen real estate prices soar with their popularity causing development to pick up the pace.

“Sandoval is an apple that didn’t fall far from her father’s tree,” Zucker said, referring to former Colorado Sen. Paul Sandoval, who died in 2012. “She’s a smart, instinctive, fact-gathering politician.”