Denver's $800M bond package for infrastructure projects takes shape
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Denver is one step closer to deciding how it might spend a proposed $800 million bond package that Mayor Mike Johnston wants on the November ballot.
State of play: An executive committee handpicked by Johnston — including former Mayor Federico Peña and Denver City Council president Amanda Sandoval — submitted a list of recommended infrastructure projects to Johnston after months of public input.
- The process drew more than 6,200 survey responses and nearly 1,000 town hall attendees.
The big picture: The proposal spans streets, bridges, parks and public safety — but lacks a clear cornerstone project to define the bond.
- Instead, it focuses on dozens of smaller, long-awaited fixes and new additions:
🏥 Public health and safety
- New first responder training center
- A children's advocacy center
- Upgrades to Denver Health's Westside clinic
- Denver Animal Shelter expansion
🌳 Parks and public spaces
- Build-out of two new parks at Emporia Park and Park Hill Park
- Safety lighting on Cherry Creek and High Line trails
- Sloan's Lake cleanup
- Renovations to the Decker, Montbello and Blair Caldwell African American Research libraries
🏘️ Housing and culture
- A co-located library and housing project in East Denver
- Site prep for a future American Indian Cultural Embassy
🚧 Infrastructure
- Santa Fe improvements between Sixth and 13th Avenues — a notorious choke point.
- Bridge and viaduct repairs, including Cherry Creek crossings and the Quebec bridge over Airlawn Road
- Upgrades to the Marion and 38th and Blake underpasses
What's next: Johnston will review the recommendations and, in the coming weeks, submit a formal package to the Denver City Council, which must vote to put it on the Nov. 4 ballot.
- Prices for each project are expected to be confirmed and released at a later date.