City Cast Denver

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was in New Orleans last week along with someone dressed up like the Big Blue Bear to help make the case that the Mile High City should host the Democratic National Convention in 2028, when the party will formally announce its next presidential nominee. Will a dancing bear do the trick? Or will Denver lose out to Boston or Philly? Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how Denver’s political narrative stacks up. Plus, a lesbian bar in a legendary building raised more than $80,000 on GoFundMe over the weekend after announcing they might close, and City Cast listeners weigh in on squirrel precautions. 

What do you think about The Pearl? Would you pitch in $5 a month to help keep it running? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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From an unseasonably warm winter to the premature blooms of an early spring, Colorado’s wacky weather has left Denver gardeners stumped. But fear not – our resident gardening expert Ann Marie Awad is here! They sit down with host Bree Davies to answer City Cast Denver listeners and readers’ burning questions about cultivating veggies during a drought, the best chemical-free ways to ward off grasshoppers and squirrels, and why planting a tree right now might be the best thing you can do for your garden in the years to come.

Bree and Ann Marie discussed a few great resources, including the City’s “Be a Smart Ash” tree replacement program, The Park People’s Denver Digs Trees program, and the water permits available for new saplings. They also discussed Denver’s drought watering schedule, how to capture “grey water,” and the Denver Botanic Gardens and CSU Extension’s Master Gardener support services.

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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Denverites, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices are often closed when those businesses need help. That’s why Portland is considering hiring a Night Mayor. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza about what this new position would do, and if it is the answer to the pandemic’s enduring negative impact on walkability, small businesses, and nightlife in cities everywhere. Plus, should your city be weirder?

Mentioned on the show:

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Lakewood voters sent a big statement to the rest of Colorado this week, with the campaign to reverse the Denver suburb’s new housing density rules dominating Tuesday’s special election. But what exactly does this election say about Coloradans and the housing affordability issue? RTD Board director Chris Nicholson joins producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi to discuss the blowback to density we’re seeing across the metro area. Plus, Nicholson shares the inside story of the negotiations that led to RTD CEO and GM Debra Johnson stepping down and some new details on the push for Front Range Passenger Rail. And finally, of course, our wins and fails of the week, featuring Blucifer’s butthole and the THC-infused soda trend. 

Want access to today’s inaugural Neighbors-only bonus segment? Support City Cast Denver and get lots of great perks by becoming a member today: membership.citycast.fm

Paul mentioned this painting based on his photo of Blucifer and the song “Blucifer” by Ritmo Cascabel.

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There was a huge shakeup at Denver’s transit provider RTD yesterday as CEO and GM Debra Johnson ⁠declined to renew her contract⁠, effectively ending her leadership of the agency after leading it through the pandemic, some costly light rail maintenance projects, and a recent decline in ridership. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi discuss the breaking news before Chandra Thomas Whitfield, a host of Colorado Matters on CPR, joins to talk about ⁠Xcel’s latest proposal⁠ for data centers and what former mayor Michael Hancock ⁠has been up to⁠ since he left office in 2023.

Today is Local News Day! That means it’s a perfect time to sign up for membership to support City Cast Denver. Help make sure we can keep covering the local stories that matter to you – and get great perks! Sign up now at ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠. 

Bree also discussed our recent coverage of the turmoil at RTD: 

Paul mentioned a statement RTD shared in response to an interview request for Debra Johnston  from RTD Board Chair Patrick O’Keefe: 

"On behalf of RTD’s Board of Directors, I want to express our appreciation to Debra for her continued dedication and service to the agency, its employees, and our customers. For more than five years, she has diligently led RTD, and the Board looks forward to her continued leadership in the coming year. Debra has agreed to work closely with the Board to ensure there’s a smooth transition after the conclusion of her contract in May 2027.

Under her leadership as the General Manager and CEO, RTD has significantly improved personal safety and security, addressed a backlog of maintenance, mitigated workforce vacancy concerns, and implemented several across-the-board customer experience initiatives. The agency is in a much better place because of her dedication, and RTD’s solid foundation she created, including a strong and capable Leadership Team, will support the agency’s ongoing successes."

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at⁠ denver.citycast.fm⁠.

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What do you think about Debra Johnson leaving RTD? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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What is happening to Huston Lake? The southwest Denver body of water has almost completely dried up, taking with it some of the park’s flora and fauna and leaving neighbors concerned. Regular contributor and host of the Square State podcast Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig into the sorry recent state of Denver’s park lakes. Plus, they discuss the sci-fi series “Paradise,” why the Mile High City seems to be a perfect setting for so many fictional alternate realities, and answer listener questions about RTD and Denver Summit FC. 

What do you think about Huston Lake drying up? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Paul quoted from Carl Abbott’s article about sci-fi “Rocky Mountain Refuge” and recommended Patricia Limerick’s history of Denver Water, “Ditch in Time.”  Michelle talked about Epic Sky Trek in Castle Rock and remembered the lake she was talking about – Lower Church Lake. 

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Could prediction markets in politics mean more participation from voters? What if the Denver Summit FC’s mascot was a giant sun? Where’s the best place in the city to watch Denver’s own Nini Coco compete in the ⁠finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race⁠ next week? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are digging into the City Cast Denver mailbag today to respond to listeners’ questions, comments, and thoughts. Plus, Governor Jared Polis and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert ⁠snapped a photo together⁠ at the Rockies’ home opener on Friday and of course we have thoughts about it!

Paul mentioned Blaze, ⁠Water World’s new mascot⁠. Thanks to listener Benton who pointed us toward the new ⁠support line for folks struggling⁠ with gambling issues: 1-800-MY-RESET

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at⁠ denver.citycast.fm⁠.

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What do you think about Polis snapping a selfie with Boebert? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Learn more about the sponsors of this April 7th episode:

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It feels like every week, another Denver restaurant is closing – Enzo’s End Pizzeria served its last slice on Friday, Imperial Chinese shuttered out of the blue after 41 years, and local chain Little India announced it will close its 32nd Ave. and Lowell Blvd. location in the coming months. Is it due to rising food costs? The ongoing concern of high rents? Or, is it the price of labor? Last month’s 2025 State of Denver Restaurants Report points to the city’s rising tipped minimum wage as a major issue for restaurants, bars, and cafes; Councilman Darrell Watson has even hinted at a plan to address labor costs. But Lindsay Dalton, co-owner of The Weathervane Cafe, disagrees and she’s part of a growing chorus of business owners who are pushing back. She joins host Bree Davies to make her case.

Lindsay mentioned the city’s 2023 minimum wage report and Matthew Fritz-Maur, who runs the Denver Labor division of the Denver Auditor’s office and who was on the podcast in 2023 talking about his investigation into wage theft at strip clubs. Weathervane Cafe was previously featured in a New Yorker article last year about President Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ policy.

We reached out to Denver Labor to ask more about Fritz-Maur’s critiques of the restaurant report. He was unable for comment, but a spokesperson shared this fact sheet their office has prepared and the following statement about that document: “We compiled it as restaurants have reached out to us with questions about [Colorado Restaurant Association’s] information and generally about the tip credit. We have multiple times asked CRA for their source material to support their findings and they have not yet provided it to us. The Auditor’s Office and Denver Labor is neutral on the issue of adjusting the tip credit, but we feel it is our responsibility to provide business owners and the public with independent research to make informed decisions.”

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What do you think about tipping in Denver? Is it out of control? Would Denverites get "sticker shock” from all-inclusive pricing? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

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If you were one of the over 60,000 fans cheering for the Denver Summit last weekend, you may already know this, but Denver is only the second city in the U.S. to build a stadium specifically for women’s soccer. Will betting on women’s sports drive Denver’s economy or will Denverites be left paying the price for another stadium? City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Denver podcast host Bree Davies about why Denver has invested so much into having sports downtown, how Denver has capitalized on repurposing old industrial spaces, and how bad traffic gets when all your sports are downtown. Plus, is it better to have a Mayor with or without aims for a greater political office?

Mentioned on the show:

The $tadium Game: Inside the lucrative world of Colorado’s pro sports stadiums [⁠⁠⁠The Denver Post⁠⁠⁠]

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? ⁠⁠⁠Email David now! ⁠⁠⁠

We’re also on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@yourcitycouldbebetter⁠⁠⁠

Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? ⁠⁠⁠Check out our options⁠⁠⁠.

Union workers at Alamo Drafthouse in Sloan’s Lake are walking out today over frustrations with the company’s move to a QR code-based food ordering system, saying it overcomplicates interactions with customers. Contributor Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to discuss what it means for a theater chain that built a brand on being aggressively anti-phone. Plus they discuss the latest news in the saga of disgraced Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, what this joke map of RTD’s light rail stops says about how we view Denver, and of course, our wins and fails of the week. 

Bree talked about the new Gems & Minerals Hall coming to the Museum of Nature and Science, the ongoing JBS strike, and Denver City Council’s vote for a new contract with Axon. Paul quoted numbers from this Westword report on the local Alamo unions and discussed this statement from the company about the QR ordering change; he also talked about Copper Kettle Brewing’s impending closure and Jersey Mike’s downhill slide. Michelle mentioned Mo’Betta Greens. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

Learn more about the sponsors of this April 3rd episode:

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise