According to the Downtown Denver Partnership, downtown Denver rounded out July with exciting news for development, urban infrastructure, and future vision. The release of the first round of Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) funding will support multiple ground-floor businesses, increase residential capacity, and address barriers within the current office market. The Downtown Denver Partnership joined with the City & County of Denver to issue the first draft of the new Downtown Area Plan, which is now open to public feedback until late August.
The 16th Street Revitalization project speeds towards the finish line, with new furniture and fixtures filling the sidewalks and construction wrapping up on the last three blocks, from Tremont to Cleveland Streets. The Downtown Denver Partnership, the City and County of Denver, RTD, and PCL Construction are thrilled to officially reopen 16th Street on October 4, 2025, exactly 43 years after its inaugural opening in 1982.
Since the start of 2025, 16th Street has welcomed six new businesses, with another five announced and on the way. When we compare to 2024 activity:
- 16th Street’s average daily activity has increased by 13%, which is an increase of 600 more visits per day and 120,000 more visits year-to-date (January to July 2025 vs 2024.)
- Out of these total visits, unique visits to 16th Street increased by 10% or 70,000 total new visitors year-to-date 2025 vs 2024.
- The impact of opening 10 blocks of 16th Street led to increased average daily activity by 24% in June, resulting in 1,400 more visits per day and 41,000 more visits in June 2025 compared to June 2024.
Downtown Denver overall has seen the opening of 42 new businesses since the beginning of 2025.
- In July, Platte Street welcomed Rab Equipment and Leroy’s Bagels.
- Trybal: An African Speakeasy and Spirit Halloween are slated for August 2025 openings.
July’s pedestrian traffic* reached 85% of July 2019 levels, bolstered by major events including the Fourth of July. The return-to-office trend shows modest but positive movement, with weekday employees reaching 65% of 2019 levels, +1% percentage point above July 2024.
For complete data analysis, detailed charts, and additional insights, read the full July 2025 High Frequency Update report.
