Denver Seeking More Retail Development

Denver mayor Michael Hancock announced that attracting more retail development will be a key focus of Denver's economic-development strategy this year.

According to The Denver Post, the mayor said at a news conference, “Retail activity is extremely important to our fiscal health, and our goal is to make Denver truly one of the nation's landmark retail cities.”

To that end, the city has targeted several hundred thousand dollars out of the general fund to recruit more retailers.

The mayor said he would like to see a continuation of niche projects that reuse old buildings, such as The Source, a former foundry that is home to 15 retail and restaurant tenants. But he said the city also needs to attract more general-merchandise and big-box retailers to serve neighborhoods across the city.

And there is also a push to get more food retailing into the city’s lower-income neighborhoods, such as Globeville, which have been characterized as food deserts.