Forbes spotlights downtown Denver

Forbes just showcased Denver's textbook downtown revitalization as the lead for its look at urban cores from coast to coast.

Excerpt:

Take Denver. Civic and business leaders began work on the city’s Lower Downtown neighborhood in 1989 with the issuance of $240 million in bonds. Today LoDo is a trendy ‘hood of over 100 restored Victorian warehouses and buildings filled with art galleries, boutiques, local eateries and nightclubs. Now  Denver is in the midst of a 20-year, seven-mega project plan to expand the revitalization efforts through the rest of the downtown district.

"We carefully evaluate what the future workforce is looking for and we incorporate those demands into what we are building," asserts Tami Door, chief executive of the Downtown Denver Partnership. Those demands span pedestrian walkways, a bike path grid, and "green" housing complexes comprised of smaller units, typically rentals. Residential buildings chock-full of amenities like fitness centers aren’t in the cards. "This group doesn’t want to necessarily come into the development and lock themselves in at night; they want to be out connecting with the community so they want amenities near their homes," stresses Door.

The investments seem to be paying off. Denver, relative to the rest of the county, has been a faster growing city, with a population growing by about 1.3% per year, according to Moody’s Economy, and a 2012 that clocked 2.4% job growth and 3.3% economic growth.

Read the rest here.