The city has reached a tentative deal to sell a downtown parking lot for development of a 110-room hotel at Broadway and Spruce Street.

Why it matters: The proposal advances Boulder's push to revive downtown and expand hotel capacity before the Sundance Film Festival arrives in 2027.

The latest: The city has agreed to sell a 59-stall surface lot at 2121 Broadway to Midnight Auteur LLC.

• The sale has not been finalized, and no price estimate or range has been publicly released.
• Nearby garages can absorb the parking loss, the city says.

Zoom in: The development would include ground-floor commercial space leased below-market rates for local businesses.

• The hotel will have publicly accessible gathering areas and a rooftop, and the developer has committed to incorporating art and cultural events.

Context: Midnight Auteur is a hotel developer founded by the owner of Denver's The Ramble Hotel and the founder of the cocktail bar chain Death & Co.

• Midnight Auteur was founded by Ryan Diggins, owner of Denver's Ramble Hotel, and David Kaplan, founder of Death & Co., whose Denver location operates inside the Ramble.

Diggins grew up in Boulder and says: "Creating a hotel just off Pearl Street is an incredible privilege and a responsibility."

Between the lines: Boulder has been looking for ways to expand hotel capacity before Sundance kicks off next year.

• And the project fits into the city's broader effort to revive downtown after the pandemic slowed activity.

What they're saying: "This partnership represents an opportunity to turn a parking lot into an economic driver in our core downtown," said city manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde.

What's next: The Downtown Management Commission will review the proposal next Tuesday and City Council is expected to consider the final agreement in early August.

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State health officials have recorded 90 local cases of a stomach parasite so far this year, though where in Colorado remains unclear.

The big picture: The gastrointestinal illness — called cyclosporiasis — is caused by a microscopic parasite spread through contaminated food.

• Health officials don't consider cyclosporiasis life-threatening, though U.S. officials are investigating what's driving the surge.

Threat level: Colorado hasn't identified any outbreaks or clusters of cyclospora associated with in-state exposures, public health and environment spokesperson Hope Shuler said in a statement.

• 90 cases were reported between Jan. 1 and June 30, though they're not clustered to any specific region, preliminary data shows.
• Cases tend to increase between May and August, Shuler added.

Flashback: Last year, 204 cases were reported in Colorado.

Yes, but: It's unclear how many counties are impacted.

• Cases are currently found "throughout Colorado, with more cases in more populous counties," Shuler added.

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🌎 Boulder County is hosting a series of in-person and virtual workshops to help organizations strengthen proposals for its Climate Equity Fund.

🔌 The city launched a Resiliency Hub Pilot Program to help nonprofits prepare for extended power outages by installing battery backups that can support critical community services.

🗳️ Victor Marx emerged as the winner of the Republican primary for governor after the Associated Press called the race yesterday. (Axios Denver)

⚖️ The Denver Post and other media outlets are asking a federal judge to impose "serious sanctions," alleging OpenAI destroyed evidence and concealed its ability to identify copyrighted news stories in ChatGPT responses and training data. (New York Daily News)

If you're looking for a refreshing sipper on a hot day along the Pearl Street Mall, location beats size.

State of play: The Snack Spot, which opened last year in a kiosk at 1397 Pearl St., offers a variety of drinks and a small snack menu in the heart of downtown Boulder.

Context: The kiosk was previously home to Ruthie's Boardwalk Social, but the spot is probably best known as a Salvaggio's Deli location.

What to expect: The stand serves hot and iced coffee drinks, lemonade and soda floats.

• Snacks include pretzels, popcorn, waffles and cookies.

The latest: The stand recently added dirty sodas to its menu, something a reader pointed out after I reported that — outside of Colorado Springs — the state has been slow to catch on to the Utah-centric trend.

• The Snack Spot offers coconut, vanilla and cherry spins on sodas like Dr. Pepper and Coke.

🗯️ My thought bubble: Just outside the Boulder County courthouse, it's a perfect way to cool off after a meeting.

• It's also right next to the fountains, which had been my previous — and less-than-perfect — way to beat the heat.

If you go: Hours are 11am–8pm Monday–Thursday, 10am– 8pm Friday–Sunday.