Four years after the start of the pandemic, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday announced an initiative to help revitalize downtown Denver as businesses continue to shutter as hybrid work has taken a toll on commercial vacancies and safety concerns have reduced overall foot traffic.Those challenges create their own doom loop. More vacancies meant less activation meant more homelessness meant more crime and meant more vacancies, meant less activation and the pattern continued, said Johnston. This problem is not unique to Denver, but we need a uniquely Denver solution.Standing outside Union Station, flanked by council members, city leaders hope to chart a new path forward for downtown by looking back at the transformation of the rail station. Small businesses fill a vacant downtown in pop-up programsThe idea is to extend the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), first established to fund Union Station transformations and bring millions of dollars of investments over the next 10 years into downtown.It was designed to capture additional revenue that was generated from incremental tax revenue that came after the Union Station effort was launched. That incremental revenue comes back to invest in infrastructure, said Johnston. If approved by council and the DDA board, the taxing authority would extend beyond Union Station into the broader downtown area to finance improvements.We will extend the Downtown Denver Authority, a financing stream that was put into place to support the infrastructure and vision for Union Station, said Johnston. If we successfully activate that tool, that will allow us to invest more than $500 million into the investment in downtown.Johnston said the investments would come to downtown without new taxes.This is a taxing authority that was in place to finance the infrastructure on Union Station and we would extend the footprint of that authority to cover all of the central business district, which means businesses could opt in that region and we could make investments in that entire region, said Johnston.The proposed expansion of the DDA investment area stretches around 6 blocks from 14th Street across to 20th Street and south of Union Station from around Wynkoop Street to Colfax Avenue.Portions of North Broadway to N. Grant Street would also be included in the expansion. The mayor hopes to extend the DDA to an additional 15 years, but it would take three steps to make the change, starting with action from Denvers City Council.The council will lead an effort for a vote to ratify and extend the Downtown Denver Authority and will work with commercial and residents in the initial footprint to approve that extension, said Johnston.Following council approval, the board of the DDA would need to make an official decision to extend the boundaries beyond Union Station followed by approval from the initial group of electors that established the DDA footprint 15 years ago.That vote by a group or residents and businesses to extend the boundaries would happen in November.If those three steps happen, the mayor said funds could be redirected next year. Downtown Denver businesses shutter as leaders continue push for post-pandemic revivalIf all of those are successful, by the end of 2024 we will be prepared to start making investments in the first quarter of 2025 to turn this into what will be the most vibrant downtown neighborhood in America, said Johnston.A website will launch on Thursday seeking input from residents across Denver on what improvements Denverrites would like to see in downtown.This campaign will start with a conversation with downtown residents, starting today we will go public with a website on which every Denverrite can chime in with their own hopes and dreams for what they want from downtown, said Johnston. That would result in a criteria for investment that would come out at the end of this year that would guide the investment we would make in downtown,The mayor said he hopes the funds would create more housing, childcare options and bring Denverrites back to downtown.We want to create magnetic, public spaces where people want to come and enjoy their time some of what you see in places like Larimer Square where you have great, vibrant businesses you have outdoor activations, you have recreational and pedestrian access, said Johnston. We want to help convert some of the existing commercial spaces that may be underutilized into residential opportunities,The DDA, first created in 2008, raised over $400 million in revenue through property and sales taxes collected near Union Station and Market Street Station, according to the city.Without the expansion of the DDA, the current structure would continue to only support investments around Union Station.We know we cannot have a thriving Denver without a thriving downtown. We cant have a thriving Colorado without a thriving Denver. We cannot have a Rocky Mountain west that thrives without a thriving Colorado, added Johnston. Which means the economic recovery of 10 states starts in this neighborhood.