Category: Denver, Colorado Local News

Updated at 5:14 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026

Denver Police Officer Diego Nunez Estrella pressed  the barrel of his handgun against an unarmed man’s temple as he attempted to make a drug-related arrest at the Central Park Walmart on Tuesday morning.

The incident started when the officer was reviewing surveillance footage around 7 a.m. and saw Kevin Alvarez Arroyo on the video allegedly “manipulating foil with a white powdery substance,” according to an arrest affidavit. 

Police tracked down Alvarez Arroyo and told him he was under arrest, and the suspect ran, according to the affidavit. 

Community activist Auon’tai Anderson, who was at Walmart to get an oil change, watched the incident unfold. 

When Nunez Estrella caught the fleeing suspect and instructed him to put his hands behind his back, Alvarez Arroyo allegedly refused. 

The officer fell on top of him — perhaps a tackle, perhaps a trip, Anderson said. So the activist began recording video of the incident that Denverite reviewed. The video showed the officer holding the suspect’s hands behind his back.

“I’m putting my hands behind my back,” Alvarez Arroyo said as he and the officer stood. “Did you see that?” the suspect asked Anderson, apparently about the fall.

Anderson quietly filmed the two men’s awkward dance as the officer attempted to restrain the suspect.

“Stop,” the officer said, as both men appeared to try to regain their balance.

Then the officer pointed his handgun against the side of the unarmed suspect’s head.

“OK, OK. Don’t shoot,” Alvarez Arroyo said. 

“Put your hands behind your back,” Nunez Estrella said as he reholstered his gun with one hand and continued to hold the suspect’s hands behind his back.  

“What the f*** was that?” Alvarez Arroyo said to Anderson, who was still filming. 

“Just a slip of a finger could have ended somebody’s life right there in the Walmart aisle over a non-violent crime,” Anderson said later in an interview.

The suspect, Kevin Alvarez Arroyo, was unarmed and turned away from the officer at the time the gun was drawn.

Eventually, Nunez Estrella threatened to detain Anderson while the community activist was recording him. Anderson maintained his recording was protected by law. (Anderson hopes state lawmakers look at this case and clarify that residents can video record police actions when on private property.) 

Later, the officer struggled to find the evidence he alleged the suspect dropped. Anderson’s video shows Nunez Estrella leading the cuffed suspect around the store searching for the drugs and even ask Anderson, whom he had just threatened, for help. Anderson had seen nothing. 

Police ultimately found the suspected fentanyl, according to the affidavit. Nunez Estrella charged Alvarez Arroyo for possessing a controlled substance of less than 4 grams and obstructing a peace officer. 

Alvarez Arroyo, a registered sex offender, has faced 27 criminal charges dating back to 2019 and has been found guilty of 12, a mix of misdemeanors and felonies, according to a state background search. Crimes include a slew of traffic offenses, vehicle registration tag theft, car theft, driving under the influence, identity theft, assault and a sex offense for contact without consent.

Demand for investigation

The act was a clear violation of Denver Police Department’s use-of-force policy, which states that firearms should only be drawn when an officer reasonably believes a situation may require deadly force, Anderson said. 

Furthermore, the action undermined Chief Ron Thomas’ priority — reiterated in the city’s use-of-force policy — that officers deescalate situations and avoid introducing firearms into situations where they could increase risk, Anderson said. 

Anderson, who has long protested police violence and demanded department reform, shared his video and report of the interaction with Thomas, public safety head Al Gardner and Councilmember Shontel Lewis.

Anderson is a former Denver Public Schools board member and works as a dean at a school.

“By drawing his service weapon and placing it against the temple of an individual who was already physically subdued on the ground and under the officer’s full control, Officer Nunez engaged in an objectively unreasonable and excessive show of force,” Anderson wrote in a statement about the incident. 

The affidavit Nunez Estrella wrote did not mention that he drew his gun or held it to the suspect’s head. Use-of-force incidents automatically trigger investigations. 

Thomas personally reviewed Anderson’s report. 

“Following his review, Chief Thomas promptly forwarded the information to the Internal Affairs Bureau and directed that an investigation be conducted with regard to the force used by the officer during the arrest,” a spokesperson for the police department wrote in an email. 

Since the investigation is ongoing, the department could not share other information about the incident. 

“This is not the culture of policing that Chief Thomas allows or Director Gardner allows,” Anderson said. “And so I’m really appreciative of them taking this seriously.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated to confirm that the object the officer held was a gun. DPD confirmed that after this story was published.

The city of Denver will convert a 16-block stretch of East 13th and 14th avenues to two-way traffic, officials announced Thursday.

Currently, the avenues are one-way only, with 13th Avenue westbound and 14th Avenue eastbound. City officials said the change will slow vehicles down between Quebec Street and Yosemite Street and has long been requested by residents of the East Colfax neighborhood. 

City data shows vehicles in 2023 frequently traveled at over 40 mph, despite a 30 mph speed limit, in the area..

All-way stops will be installed on 13th and 14th avenues at Uinta and Willow streets. The traffic signals at Syracuse Street will be studied for removal after the change is made.

Courtesy Monique Helstrom

The change is a long time coming, but local neighbors say they were caught off guard. 

Monique Helstrom, the president of the East Colfax Neighborhood Association, said she woke up Wednesday, got on the road and was shocked to find cones on the road. The conversion was already underway. 

“I was driving home and I was looking around and going ‘What is happening?’” she said.

She said she witnessed several near-misses as drivers adapted to the change.

Helstrom said the funding to convert the streets was secured in a previous bond package, but a timeline for the conversion wasn’t clear. She said an electronic sign was posted on the road that said “New traffic pattern coming soon,” but no date was specified. 

She said the neighborhood doesn’t oppose the changes — they’re just frustrated that the city did so without informing residents well in advance. 

“I just want everyone to be aware,” she said. “There’s nothing we can do to change it at this point.”

The sudden conversion may not be the only change coming to 13th and 14th.

Funds from the recently passed Vibrant Denver bond will be used for a transformation of 13th and 14th between Quebec Street and Colorado Boulevard — several miles west of the new changes. After studying the corridor, the city will install “safety improvements to address speeding, serious crashes, intersection safety, and multimodal connectivity.”

By Cassidy Ritter for Denverite

2026 is in full swing. Keep the New Year’s momentum going by scoping out some new businesses in the Mile High City and exploring a hidden gem that can help you revamp your home.

Below, Denverites will also find an upcoming Lunar New Year celebration and a fun way to spend some time outdoors.

This article is part of Denverite’s “Off the Beaten Path” series, which is meant to help you find new businesses to visit, places to get outside and events to attend.

Have suggestions for the next round-up? Let us know.

Three new places to try

Cimera

Cimera, a rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar, opened at The Source Hotel in late October.

The RiNo establishment serves Pan-Latin cuisine that blends flavors from Mexico and Central and South America. Menu items range from Peruvian ceviche and octopus carpaccio to whole roasted bass and Anticuchos, a Peruvian street food with skewered meat of your choice. And don’t forget about the cocktails, such as a hibiscus margarita, horchata cooler and Oaxacan old fashioned. The menu will rotate seasonally, with many ingredients sourced from local farms and businesses.

Cimera is led by internationally acclaimed chef Diego Muñoz and executive chef Geoff Cox, who previously worked at Hop Alley. The eatery is the brainchild of Tom Dillon, the founder of hospitality and development company Apicii. 

The restaurant’s atmosphere and decor also pay homage to RiNo’s artistic culture. The interior features a colorful mural by New York artist Aaron Petz.

Cimera is open daily at 3330 Brighton Blvd. for lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), happy hour (3-5 p.m.) and dinner (starting at 5 p.m.). Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are recommended; walk-ins are welcome at the bar.

Denver Street Eats

A new restaurant has landed at Denver International Airport. Denver Street Eats opened in November on Concourse B near gate B22.

Denver Street Eats aims to celebrate Denver’s vibrant and diverse food culture and give travelers a taste of the flavors, energy and style found in the River North Art District. As such, the quick-serve restaurant offers locally-inspired food ranging from breakfast street tacos with green chili, steak and chorizo to salads, queso and other snacks. 

The approximately 990-square-foot eatery is run by Areas USA, a food, beverage and travel retail company. JME Group and Sky Blue Airport Enterprises are also part-owners of Denver Street Eats.

Courtesy of Denver International Airport

Denver Street Eats is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friends of Friends

Inside Stanley Marketplace in Aurora is a new, casual art space and art café called Friends of Friends. It’s a space for artists and art-lovers of all ages and experience levels that offers classes, workshops and walk-in projects. 

Courtesy of Nikki Rae

“As former art educators, we truly believe that art is for everyone and is crucial for a present and fulfilling lifestyle,” said Sarah Schreiber, Friends of Friends owner. “With the way the world is now, and how screen addicted all of us are, getting into an art space where phones are not the priority and art supplies are is what we really wanted to bring to the table.”

Friends Of Friends has a walk-in menu with different project tiers, such as kid-friendly monster art, a collage bar, bookmark-making, pottery painting and more. Guests can attend workshops to craft candles, draw, paint, make charm necklaces and learn to (or enhance) their felting skills.

If the menu isn’t enough to spark your creativity, the decor surely will. The walls are lined with colorful murals, a giant crocheted eyeball monster, framed art and unique, locally-made light fixtures.

Schreiber also owns Friend Assembly, a pottery studio that opened in Stanley Marketplace in 2022.

“I decided to open Friends of Friends because the world needs more art,” she said. “As much as I love pottery and running the ceramic studio, clay is very involved and a lot of people are intimidated or don’t feel the connection with a medium that demands so much time and patience. A casual art cafe is a perfect place to come with your friends, on date or bring the kids when they’re off school and just let your brain be creative.”

Friends of Friends is a pop-up that will remain open until the end of the year, but Schreiber hopes its location at Stanley Marketplace will be a long-term space.

The art café is open Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment on Mondays and Tuesdays. More information about the business’s workshops and drop-in projects can be found on its website. 

Get outside

If you haven’t already, it’s time to break out your skis and snowboard. And now, you can practice some turns, jumps and tricks in Denver.

Ski and snowboarding terrain at Ruby Hill Rail Yard is now open thanks to snowmaking help from Winter Park Resort. 

The Rail Yard is located on a large hill in the park at South Platte River Drive and West Jewell Avenue. It features rails and boxes for novice and advanced skiers and snowboarders to embrace the winter sport. And it’s free.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and ski and snowboard rentals are available on-site Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to roughly 6 p.m.

The Rail Yard will remain open until March, weather permitting. (Denver Parks & Recreation also hopes to install a new surface lift at the Rail Yard.)

Add to the calendar

Get ready to ring in the Year of the Dragon with family and friends at Denver’s Far East Center’s Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22.

With celebrations ranging from lion and dragon dances to a children’s fashion show parade, this free event will be fun for the whole family. Eating and shopping will also be in abundance, with food trucks, restaurants and pop-up vendors on-site.

The center’s 35th annual Lunar New Year celebration, at 333 S. Federal Blvd., will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Hidden gem

Tucked away at the northern edge of Denver’s West Highland is a cozy neighborhood plant shop focused on greener ways to gift because single-stem flowers are short-lived, but plants can be forever.

Tigerlily Goods, at 3795 Grove St., sells easy-to-care-for houseplants like ZZ plants, monsteras and pothos, in addition to housewares, locally-made gifts and a curated selection of vintage goods.

“I’ve always been a collector of vintage,” said Neicy Geis, owner and founder of Tigerlily Goods. “I’ve always been collecting cool things for my someday store, not knowing exactly what it would be.”

Courtesy of TigerLily Goods

Geis, a former graffiti artist, began working in the plant and floral industry in 2016 as a delivery driver for a local flower shop. As she learned about the industry, she found it hard to deal with the amount of waste in the cut flower market (an estimated 45% of cut flowers are thrown away before they’re used or sold). Geis wanted to offer a more sustainable way for people to give gifts, so she paired her love of vintage finds with succulent plants and opened a booth at the Sunnyside Music Festival in September 2018. Her business snowballed from there. 

Tigerlily Goods opened in November 2018 in a 225-square-foot space and expanded in 2021 to its current 600-square-foot storefront.

In addition to sustainability, customer service and community are at the heart of Tigerlily Goods. Geis goes above and beyond for her customers — including walking them to their car or delivering a plant and hug to someone living away from family.

“Delivery is my favorite thing about what I do because I get to be that middleman for the love that’s sent across the country,” Geis said. “And when I deliver a hug to someone from their mom that they haven’t seen in years … they love it, and then they call their mom right away and they say, ‘I got your hug.’”

And if you’re new to the houseplant game, don’t worry, Geis is here to help you, too.

“If you care about something enough, you’re going to learn about it,” she said. “It’s trial and error. You win some, you lose some. I killed so many plants, and I still do, but less frequently 1771502890.”

Geis also offers plant sitting, repotting and in-store plant care assistance, whether it’s a plant someone’s had for 40 years, one purchased at Tigerlily Goods or one they found on the side of the road, Geis said.

Tigerlily Goods is open Wednesdays to Fridays from noon to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Regional Transportation District officially renamed Civic Center Station on Jan. 19 to honor the Rev. Wade Blank, the disability rights activist who fought for transit access.

But the agency appears to have canceled a renaming ceremony that had been scheduled Thursday. The change came as RTD has faced criticism from disability rights advocates — and even Blank’s own daughter. 

Caitlin Blank, along with the advocacy group ADAPT Colorado, is angry that RTD recently increased costs for a popular service for riders with disabilities.

“I state clearly that I do not grant permission for my father’s name to be used on any RTD property at this time. My family was never consulted before RTD moved forward with this proposal,” Caitlin Blank wrote in a letter. “Let’s be clear: renaming Civic Center Station after Wade Blank right now is not an honor—it is a publicity stunt.” 

Blank co-founded Atlantis, an independent living community for people with disabilities. Atlantis gave rise to ADAPT.

“We don’t want that sign going up and we don’t want a celebration until we’ve got RTD really making some meaningful reforms,” said Mary Henneck of ADAPT Colorado.

The criticism is focused on RTD’s changes to Access-on-Demand, a service that provides flexible transportation on services like Uber. RTD recently raised costs for riders on the service, saying it was a financial necessity.

No ceremony, but the new name will stand

In a letter to ADAPT, an RTD leader said the ceremony was canceled, but the renaming will stand. 

“RTD has stopped planning a celebration of the station renaming. The final components of the renaming will simply occur without fanfare. Perhaps someday we can arrange a celebration that is fitting of Rev. Blank and his constant push for improvement,” wrote Patrick O’Keefe, the chair of RTD’s elected Board of Directors. 

ADAPT provided a copy of the letter to Denverite. O’Keefe was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

RTD previously noted that the renaming proposal came from “community advocates” with 28 letters of support from local organizations, as well as an endorsement from the Denver City Council.

O’Keefe said that he did not support a reversal of the name change, noting its broad community support, including from “many voices from within the disability community.”

But he added that he wanted to meet regularly with ADAPT and pursue accountability and “better outcomes” from RTD.

Service changes drew anger

RTD’s Board of Directors approved the changes to Access-on-Demand (AoD) in late September in a 10-5 vote. O’Keefe, the board chair, opposed the change.

The service will continue, but RTD is now covering only $20 of each ride’s cost, down from a maximum of $25 currently. Riders also will pay a base fare of $4.50 per ride, or $2.25 for those who qualify for RTD’s income-based discount program.

Dawn Russell, an RTD user and ADAPT advocate, said that while she appreciates the name change, RTD should be focused on reversing its recent changes to the AoD program. 

“We appreciate the work that has gone into (the renaming), but the timing certainly doesn’t speak the values of now,” Russell said. She said she was pleased about the chance to meet with RTD leadership.

Access-on-Demand launched as a pilot project about five years ago. It offers subsidized, on-demand rides for qualified riders via certain ride-share and taxi companies. The flexibility and affordability appealed to paratransit riders, boosting its popularity quickly. 

RTD officials have said increasing ridership has made AoD unsustainable. Overall, RTD is operating a record $1.5 billion budget in 2026, but it faces a “structural” deficit and officials have said they’re worried about the long-term budget implications of the on-demand paratransit program.

ADAPT unsuccessfully sued RTD in an attempt to stop the changes.

ADAPT’s long history of fighting RTD for accessibility 

ADAPT has a rich history of protest. The Gang of 19, a group of people with disabilities, blocked the intersection of Broadway and Colfax in July 1978. They successfully halted RTD buses for about 24 hours. Blank joined them as a supporter and organizer. It was part of a successful movement to make Denver’s bus fleet accessible for wheelchairs.

The group was a driving force in demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol in 1990, urging federal lawmakers to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Henneck, with ADAPT, said that they will continue to fight for accessibility in public transit. 

“RTD has made it clear their No. 1 priority is increasing ridership, but apparently not for people with disabilities,” Henneck said. “They are failing the most in need, the people who are most dependent on public transit and they’re failing this community miserably.” 

Wade Blank was an “iconoclastic minister and civil rights worker,” as one remembrance put it. He believed in a “liberated community,” or a “society where human beings could live in equality and develop the power to effect change.”

Blank died in 1993 alongside his 8-year-old son, Lincoln, whom he was trying to rescue from a riptide.

RTD’s website already reflects the new name of Wade Blank Civic Center Station, which stands just blocks from the site of the Gang of 19 protest. 

But the agency hasn’t yet installed the signage that will make Wade Blank’s name a daily part of life for some 15,000 passengers.

“Adding Rev. Blank’s name to Civic Center Station serves as an ever-present reminder that while we have come a long way, we have a long way still to go,” O’Keefe wrote in his letter to ADAPT.

After months of criticism about changes to a safety project on Alameda Avenue, Denver transportation officials took another U-turn.

The city once again plans to fully eliminate a traffic lane, at least temporarily, from a stretch of the busy road. It’s a return to the original design for the project — which was already supposed to be months into construction.

The Alameda project has proved highly controversial. Just before construction was to begin last year, a group of residents successfully lobbied to stop the original design, saying they were concerned about the loss of a traffic lane. But other residents saw that first change as a betrayal that would do little to improve safety.

Now, the city has agreed to at least try the original design — a victory for people who want a skinnier road with less room for automobiles.

But some City Council members remain skeptical, especially since the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure didn’t bring specific details about what it hopes to achieve from the temporary demonstration.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The demonstration will test the full ‘road diet’ on a shorter stretch. 

DOTI will build out the original design that was identified back in 2024. Along with other changes, DOTI will narrow the road from four lanes of traffic to three: two directional lanes and a turn lane.

Supportive neighbors said that the original plan would both slow vehicles and bring traffic away from narrow sidewalks. 

The full project would reconstruct a one-mile stretch of Alameda between Franklin Street and Lincoln Street. But the demonstration DOTI envisions would only build out a fraction of that project, between Emerson and Franklin streets, subject to change. 

“It’s just because it’s more resource heavy to do the full extent,” said Molly Lanphier, a community liaison with DOTI. “And again, that’s a conversation we can certainly have.”

The demonstration is set to begin in summer and end early in 2027, but the city council would need to approve funding first. DOTI has not determined how much it would cost, nor has it solicited requests for proposals from potential contractors. 

Once approved, a contractor will repaint Alameda, using a type of paint that can easily be removed or changed, allowing DOTI to be “a little more nimble than we normally would be”, according to Lanphier. 

As things stand, DOTI will only test the original design, known as a full lane repurposing.

The city will not test the second design — a partial lane repurposing — that it announced late last year. In that design, instead of fully eliminating a lane, the agency planned to convert one of the westbound travel lanes into a series of “turn pockets” from Franklin to Pearl streets. The road would keep three directional lanes instead of two.

Residents and transportation advocates pushed back heavily against the watered-down partial lane repurposing, arguing it sacrificed road safety in favor of catering to automobiles and is counterintuitive to Vision Zero. DOTI’s Executive Director, Amy Ford, has continually defended the partial design, even saying it is safer than the original design. 

DOTI will also continue to move forward on several permanent safety improvements along Alameda that would be built under either plan, including pedestrian crossing improvements, reduced speed limits and more. 

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Findings from the pilot program will be ‘applied to a final design.’

Data collected from the pilot will measure “speeds, volumes, queuing, diversion, crashes, and comfort,” among other factors. 

The department will specifically track whether the project sends more traffic to nearby streets, a frequent concern for critics of the design. Department leaders previously said the full road diet would send too much traffic to side streets, particularly Virginia Avenue. 

But DOTI has yet to outline its benchmarks for success, much to some council members’ disappointment. 

DOTI plans to meet this week with a working group including community members on both sides of the Alameda debate. Invited parties include the West Washington Park Neighborhood Association, members of DOTI’s citizen advisory board, and the Morey Hill Homeowners Association, which hired a lobbyist to object to the full road diet. 

Lanphier said the working group will help determine DOTI’s metrics for success. 

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

But some council members said the makeup of the working group isn’t representative of the project stakeholders. They objected to the inclusion of the Morey Hill Homeowners Association, which isn’t within the project boundaries. 

“Why not have Athmar Park be out there? Why not have Baker have a representation? Why not have [the Lincoln Broadway Corridor RNO] have a representative?” said District 7 Councilmember Flor Alvidrez. 

Lanphier said the Morey Hill group represents the “other side” of the Alameda debate. The group includes Jill Anschutz, a member of the influential Anschutz family, and several other neighbors. The group warned of the full road diet’s potential for “substantial and lasting negative impacts on traffic safety, neighborhood livability, and the vitality of local businesses” and its impact to traffic. 

“I do feel like in order to have a productive conversation, we have to have both sides at the table,” Lanphier said. 

Councilmember Shontel Lewis, who chairs City Council’s transportation committee, said the lack of concrete details makes her uneasy. 

“We don’t know what we’re procuring,” she said. “We don’t have a design beyond paint. We don’t know where we’re measuring or who we’re measuring. We don’t have any success metrics that have been defined or provided to any of us on this council. We are not testing both options as we asked for at the last presentation. So I’m not really sure what we’re doing here.”

After the pilot, the department will choose between the two designs for a permanent installation.

Joshua Catron has two problems. The first is that he lost his years-long contract to rent boats and bikes to visitors at Denver parks.

The second is that he needs a new home for his fleet, including 42 swan boats and dozens of bicycles. Catron owns the local franchise of Wheel Fun Rentals, which has been doing business in Washington Park and City Park for more than 20 years.

Starting this spring, the city government will take over the rental operations. Catron said the city’s decision not to renew its contract came out of nowhere. 

“There was no reason to believe at the beginning of the season that we weren’t going to get the contract renewed,” Catron said.

The boats and bikes have been a popular amenity each spring and summer. But his success may have also been its downfall — the city may see this as a way to cut into its budget deficit.  

“It’s no surprise that Denver’s budget is not doing well, and so they saw this as an opportunity to increase their revenues, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” he said.

It’s the latest in a series of decisions by Denver Parks and Recreation that have upset local businesses and community groups. The city department in recent months evicted a popular nonprofit that addresses food insecurity and stopped renting pool space to private groups, including a queer swim team it has partnered with for three decades. Both reported receiving short notice from the city, forcing them to scramble.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The decision comes as Denver looks to make money on its own. 

Catron was told he needed to vacate equipment from city storage by mid-February, dashing his plans for the next season. He had already paid his seasonal staff an end-of-season bonus for last year and invested money in new bicycles and parts. 

“Since we got the non-renewal, they’re likely just going to end up in the trash,” he said of the parts. He still was looking for a long-term solution for his boats and bicycles. 

Catron — a teacher who initially took on managing Wheel Fun Rentals as a side gig before he took over as franchise majority owner — said he’s dipping into his personal savings to remove and store the company’s boats and bikes. He said the breakup would have been easier with more notice, or if the city agreed to buy his equipment.

The justification he was given for the contract expiration was that the city wanted to take over what they saw as a successful venture, he said. Catron was a concessionaire, paying to rent public space for his business.

Parks officials defended the change, saying it was standard practice to review and evaluate contracts.

“DPR did not issue a new RFP as it now has the capacity and internal expertise to offer a suite of services to engage Denver visitors and residents in outdoor activities. DPR’s mission remains focused on being good stewards of the city’s public parks and recreation centers, and this decision aligns with the broader goal to ensure resources are directed toward services and initiatives that deliver the greatest value to our residents,” wrote spokesperson Stephane Figueroa.

Ultimately, Catron said the business will be a drop in the bucket for Denver. He told KDVR the business made less than $500,000 in annual revenue.  The parks and recreation department has a $85.5 million budget for 2026, funded partially by tens of millions of dollars from a voter-approved sales tax.

The city’s budget doesn’t detail how much it will spend to take over the rental programs.

Catron questioned whether the city will be able to turn a profit in the immediate future, especially since Wheel Fun is no longer paying sales tax or rent. 

“I think we’ve paid $700,000 in rent over the years,” he said. “We’ve paid $500,000 in sales taxes and all of that with no investment from the city.”

Catron said the city will face challenges.

Catron warned that the city will have to handle liability for injuries and figure out how to manage a staff of 30 people. But the parks department is jumping in with two feet.

While details are scant for the spring rental plans, the parks department has bought some eye-catching new boats — with designs including a swan, a duck and a truly haunting dragon.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite