1) Denver Drivers are Facing Closures on Quebec Street

Drivers who use Quebec St. in northeast Denver may want to use an alternative route for the next several months. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) has begun a project to add sidewalks along Quebec between 12th Ave. and Montview Blvd. The traffic signal at 17th Ave. will also be upgraded.

The construction will entail closing two- to three-block sections of the road during the week while the work is being done. DOTI says the road closures are needed to keep work crews and the public safe. The road will be open on the weekends.

Upcoming full closures of Quebec St. on weekdays:

• Colfax Ave. to 17th Ave.—Jan. 2 to Feb. 17
• 17th Ave. to Montview Blvd.—Feb. 18 to Apr. 3

The sidewalks are being installed with funding from the Elevate Denver Bond, which voters approved in 2017, to fund improvements to city infrastructure. The original schedule for the Quebec St. work was expected to be finished in September. The plan is now to finish in early spring.

Fiction Beer Announces Closure

When Park Hill residents Ryan and Christa Kilpatrick shared the news of the closing of Fiction Beer in December, the brewery’s Facebook page was filled with memories from customers. From first dates to 60th birthday celebrations, people remembered the 10 years the Colfax Ave. brewery in Denver was open.

The Kilpatricks say they made the difficult decision to close as their lease was ending and they decided not to renew it for another five-year term. The couple posted on social media, “There are so many reasons for this, but what it comes down to is that the craft beer biz is a difficult and demanding one and it’s time to move on to less stressful ventures for the sake of our kiddos and ourselves. And although it’s incredibly sad to say goodbye, we are excited to write a new chapter for ourselves as happier and healthier main characters.”

The brewery opened in September of 2014 with Ryan as the head brewer and Christa running the taproom. The name Fiction came from a combination of Christa’s love for books and Ryan’s love of beer.

The Fiction taproom in Parker will remain open.

2) Scooters May be Coming Back to Aurora

Walking or driving through the south end of Central Park, scooters are often seen parked along E. 26th Ave. on the Denver side of the street. Stanley Marketplace and the surrounding areas are generally scooter-free…for now.

Lime Scooters is working with the City of Aurora on a permitting process to bring the electric modes of transportation back after leaving Aurora in 2018.

Zach Williams, senior director of government relations for Lime, says “If we are given the opportunity to serve Aurora, we will work as a partner to the city and its residents and build a program focused on their needs, one that provides safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation options while ensuring the rules of the road are respected and it doesn’t inconvenience residents who aren’t riders.”

Wiliams says ridership in Colorado was “through the roof” in 2024. He adds that continuing the program in Denver and expanding into Aurora will be a win for people who need the service for transportation.

According to Lime, since launching in 2018, there have been more than 2.3 million unique Lime riders in Denver who have taken almost 15 million rides on Lime e-bikes and e-scooters. They’ve traveled over 19 million miles and have kept an estimated 3.6 million car trips off the road, preventing 1,630 tons of carbon emissions from being released into the atmosphere and saving over 183,000 gallons of gas.

3) Money Awarded for Restoration at The Urban Farm

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded $39,000 to Denver Parks and Recreation to help restore wildlife habitat at Sand Creek Open Space at the Urban Farm property.

The money will be used in partnership with the Mile High Youth Corps to hire young people  to complete land and water conservation projects while gaining paid professional experience.

The crews will work to restore six acres of prairie and wildlife habitat by applying herbicide, removing invasive species, building trails, and planting native plant seeds in the neglected area.

GOCO invests Colorado Lottery money to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces.

4) A Parking Surprise for Some Patrons of Stanley Marketplace

Changes in parking at Stanley Marketplace started in the spring: free for the first three hours, followed by a charge if people stayed longer. But now, some Stanely patrons have erroneously received parking violations.

Stanley management posted on Facebook in December:

It’s come to our attention that some of our valued guests have mistakenly received parking violation collection notices, and we’re deeply sorry to hear it. The violations were sent in error by our third-party vendor without our knowledge; we have confirmed that all notices have been voided and we’re working to improve both the communications and the logistics with the vendor. In the meantime, we’d love to make it right for anyone who received a collection notice. Please email a photo of your notice to Info@StanleyMarketplace.com, and we’ll send you a Stanley gift card as a token of our gratitude for your support of Stanley Marketplace.

In response to social media comments about paid parking in general, Stanley Marketplace posted, “We’re working through possible solutions. Thanks for your patience as we try to make this right.”

5) New Sidewalk Fee in Denver

The new sidewalk fees that Denver voters approved in 2022 for repairs and construction will finally be charged to property owners in 2025.

After adjustments were made to the original ordinance, the city says the “vast majority” of property owners will pay an annual $150 flat fee. That fee will be added to stormwater bills—split into two payments between the first and second half of the year.

Residents can visit www.denvergov.org/sidewalks to find answers to questions and to access resources. There’s a lookup tool for property owners to confirm the fee being charged based on their address, and a form to apply for a rebate based on income and property size. There’s also a place to report major sidewalk damage.

The City doesn’t yet have a timeline for repair of specific sidewalks yet. The money coming in during 2025 will help pay for the program.