COVID-19 Upending Daily Valley Life, Rapid Shutdowns Signal A Strange Spring

by Mark Smiley | Mar 20, 2020 | Main Articles

Advice On Testing, Seeing A Medical Provider From Home; Tips To Stop Mass Anxiety And Panicky Behavior From Spreading

by Glen Richardson

Seemingly facing a widening coronavirus pandemic tagged as COVID-19, dark spirits are transfixing Valley residents as authorized restrictions have ignited a near-shutdown of all activity and is upending daily life. The contagion is the perfect storm of an unknown threat mixing in with social media and news channels to generate hysteria.

Like everyone, the Chronicle takes the virus seriously but also recognizes it should be seen in perspective. Consider these facts: As of March 18 there had been 154 coronavirus deaths nationwide. During the same period there were 2,900 flu deaths in the U.S. The number of COVID-19 cases nationwide was over 10,000 compared to between 30 and 40 million flu cases with 30,000-50,000 hospitalizations. In Colorado there have been 216 coronavirus cases compared to 3,391 hospitalized flu cases.

Despite reports coronavirus is a greater threat to the elderly, Colorado’s new COVID-19 website reveals as of March 18 that 44.34% of cases were age 50 and above versus 55.66% under 50 years of age.

What To Do?

The virus outbreak should, of course, be taken seriously. Nevertheless, the exaggerated response created by the current panic is having negative consequences for our health and the health of community businesses. To get answers, we turn to UCHealth medical providers for information and guidance. Moreover, is this mass anxiety and panicky behavior real and what should we do about it?

Foremost, medical providers can help you figure out if you need to be tested for coronavirus. UCHealth’s Virtual Urgent Care is open to anyone in Colorado including those who don’t have insurance. What should you do if you have symptoms like a fever, cough or shortness of breath? For those who have general questions about coronavirus, or want information about testing, the best place to get help is through Glendale-based Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment at 303-389-1687 or email cohelp@rmpdc.org. For patients who want to see a medical provider from the privacy of home, an online visit through UC-Health’s Virtual Urgent Care can be one of the easiest, safest ways to get help.

“COVID-19 is quite infectious, so if you can stay home and get medical advice, that gives you two advantages. First, if you’re sick, you’re not going to be bringing your illness into a doctor’s office or a hospital. Second, you won’t be exposed to other patients,” explains Dr. Chris Davis, an expert in emergency medicine and infectious diseases, and Medical Director for UCHealth’s Virtual Urgent Care.

Is A Test Needed?

“If you’re worried and you have any risk factors, you can see a provider. If you need a test, then we can tell you what to do and the closest place to get tested,” Davis adds.

Patients using Virtual Urgent Care do not need to be a current UCHealth patient and don’t need insurance. Anyone in Colorado, including visitors to the state, can use the service. Insurance typically covers the visit, but for those who don’t have insurance,

there’s a $49 flat fee. Moreover, the Virtual Urgent Care providers are now trained on how to help patients determine if they are at risk for COVID-19.

“We’re looking for symptoms and also for a travel history. Have you recently been to the five countries where the outbreaks are the worst: China, Italy, Iran, South Korea or Japan? Or, have you been to California, Washington State, Florida, New York, places that have ongoing cases of community transmission?” Davis states.

Same Day Appointment

Many patients won’t need additional care beyond their online visit, Davis indicates. But for those who do need to be tested for COVID-19 or to go to an ER for immediate follow-up care, the fee for the Virtual Urgent Care appointment will be waived. Davis points out that it’s reassuring for patients to get same-day appointments with Colorado health experts.

“This is a pretty fast-moving situation. It’s nice to have a dedicated group of providers who are keeping track of this coronavirus outbreak on a daily basis,” Davis continues. There’s no referral necessary.

Anyone in Colorado can create an account through My Health Connect and request an appointment online for an appointment. “What makes this so great and convenient is the setting. When you’re dealing with a pandemic, you can get your questions answered without having to leave your home,” Davis continues. “If you’re worried about being exposed or exposing others, this is a great option.”

Anxiety Attack

Coronavirus anxiety has spurred people to hoard everything from toilet paper to canned tuna. Hand sanitizer has been sold out for weeks, spurring nervous neighbors to share tips on Nextdoor about how to make their own sanitizer, only to discover on fruitless trips to the pharmacy that the key ingredient — alcohol — is also sold out. Add worries about the tanking stock market to spookily empty store shelves and we are witnessing a full-blown case of coronavirus anxiety.

According to Psychologist Justin Ross, it’s no surprise that mass anxiety and panicky behavior are spreading. Ross, who has a doctorate in psychology and practices at the UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center in Stapleton says anxiety is a natural response now because the coronavirus outbreak is feeding the three key ingredients that cause anxiety: Unpredictability, Lack of control, plus it’s a threat to the people or things we value.

Ross said anxiety can be a healthy response during times of stress. “In many ways anxiety serves an adaptive, healthy response when something we value dearly is threatened or perceived to be threatened,” Ross explains. “The problem is when the anxiety response runs amok and spins out of control. That’s when it can cause a lot of problems for people.”

Simple Stress Steps

Ross says it’s clear that anxiety about the coronavirus outbreak is causing problems for many. “The current level of uncertainty and a felt sense of lacking control with this virus has led us to buy things unnecessarily and excessively checking news and social media. We want to feel like we have the ability to control our lives. We want information and we want products that align with our vision for safety and control,” he explains.

While it’s not very helpful during legitimate times of stress to give people pat responses like: “calm down, don’t panic,” or “don’t worry,” Ross suggests these simple steps: Limit

your exposure to news and social media. Plan to check your news sources or social media feeds just twice a day. Ross strongly recommends limiting exposure to social media since a friend’s post — which may not even be accurate — can trigger worries for you. Anxiety essentially can be contagious. Reduce the contagion by skipping the updates.

Focus on controlling what you can control, he urges. A person cannot control how widely the coronavirus outbreak will spread. We can’t control if our child’s school will close or if an important work conference will get canceled or if our 401K retirement savings shrinks. So, he advises people to focus on the simple powers we do have. “We can wash our hands. We can take precautions,” he says. “We can give ourselves the best chance of staying healthy.”

For more information, visit uchealth.org

The Destruction Of Hale Parkway

by Luke Schmaltz | Feb 24, 2020 | Main Articles

Denver’s Hale neighborhood is an historic community tucked between Colorado Boulevard and Holly Streets to the west and east, respectively, and Colfax Ave. and 6th Ave. to the north and south. This relatively quiet area is fairly unique in that the north/south grid is diagonally distinguished by a tree-lined, two-lane, median-separated stretch of picturesque road called Hale Parkway.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Development in the area began in the 1930s and, as geography would have it, a creek flowed on a northwest/southeast angle through marshland along the path where Hale Parkway now exists. The creek was part of the Upper Montclair Basin runoff system, directing rainwater toward the Platte River basin to the northwest. By the 1940s, the area was developed, and the old riverbed was wiped away and soon-to-be forgotten by residents, but not by topography. When heavy rainfall hits the area, the one-time natural waterway can be quickly transformed into a saturated urban thoroughfare with flood levels up to three feet high.

A Diagonal Asset

Today, the marshlands have been replaced by mostly residential structures along with the significantly large Rose Medical Center and University of Colorado Hospital campuses. Hale Parkway is a local treasure, boasting a series of lush, park-like medians that are home to a total of 80 large, mature trees and 40 smaller trees and shrubs. Hale Parkway is one of just 35 designated parkways and boulevards across the Mile High City recognized as such by the Denver City government. This stretch of road gives the community a distinctively quaint feel, as its diagonal trajectory works as a cohesive, common feature which unites the neighborhood.

An Extreme Scheme

The redesign project proposed by the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (now the newly-branded Mile High Flood District [MHFD]) holds drastic measures for the parkway. These initiatives which would effectively diminish the purpose and function of the roadway and the appeal of the area at large. The plan calls for the permanent removal of the two north lanes carrying traffic west from 8th Avenue to Colorado Blvd. The removal of features would also include the grassy park-like medians, all flora and foliage therein as well as several dozen parking spaces (65 total) for area residents. A series of large drainage pipes would replace the lanes, spaces and medians while east/west traffic would be funneled to side-by-side opposing lanes in place of the two existing eastbound lanes. Local property owners are highly upset that the redesign would severely diminish real estate values. Meanwhile, the explosive growth of the area has residents at large concerned with an imminent traffic congestion problem. As the number of inhabitants is set to increase, the redesign would decrease the area’s ability to effectively accommodate all the new traffic.

Violation Of Internal Rules

Further, the proposed measures are in blatant breach of the Denver Design Guidelines published by the City and County of Denver in 2005. Page 14 of the guide pledges to “Respect and preserve the historic or original design of the parkway or boulevard. Components of the original design usually include the street cross section, tree lawn, median (if appropriate), adjacent street pattern, building setback and private yard, building siting, topography and plantings.” Also, a subsequent section claims that the city will “Preserve the spaces and relationships that are part of the original or historic parkway or boulevard construction including the continuous open space created by the building setback.” Clearly, the MHFD is proposing to infringe on the very rules set by its parent authority — the Denver City Government.

Plausible Alternatives?

With the Cherry Creek waterway located just two miles to the south and flowing northwest to the Platte River, it would seem that returning an unassuming one mile stretch of road in Hale to its former watershed function is inconsequential. Some residents are imploring MHFD to consider alternative means of managing rainwater overflow in the area. Others are outraged, seeing the beauty-sacrificing redesign as a grossly lopsided and ultimately futile misappropriation of taxpayer funds. Aligning with this viewpoint is not difficult. Driving through Hale trying to visualize the proposed measures put into place is like imagining a jagged, diagonal tear through the cross stitchings of a gorgeous tapestry; unsightly, unnecessary, and utterly without purpose.

BOVO v. BOVO A ‘War Of The Roses’ Breaks Out Between One Of Glendale’s Most Prominent Couples

by Mark Smiley | Feb 24, 2020 | Main Articles

by Julie Hayden

Paula and Todd Bovo are one of Glendale’s most prominent power couples. She was a council member and then Mayor Pro Tem of the city from 2010 to 2016, with a publicly expressed aspiration to become the governor of Colorado. He started one of the city’s most well known and aggressive personal injury firms with offices in the penthouse of the Cherry Creek Plaza at 650 South Cherry Street. They were married in 2009. Paula was also an attorney and she became his legal partner in the Bovo Law firm. She helped prepare cases for trial and he usually acted as lead counsel in court. The couple were frequent guests at civic, social and charitable events in Glendale and Denver.

Marriages, of course, can turn sour and the circumstances can be greatly aggravated when the couple are also business partners. For the Bovos it is now full out warfare in and out of court. She publicly and in court pleadings alleges that he is a domestic violence perpetrator against both her and the couples’ two children. He in turn vigorously disputes those claims and asserts that she is a serial liar and person who regularly betrays the trust of those around her.

Their allegations and counter allegations have spilled over into public and professional arenas.

Court Documents

Public records show the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department has responded to the Bovo home twice on domestic violence calls. Both times officers left without arresting anyone, an unusual result in these kinds of cases.

In a May 2017 incident Paula Bovo called 911 claiming her husband was destroying property inside their home. The report indicates that she videotaped Todd “yelling and cussing” but adds “she stated at no time did he threaten her or the kids and did not physically touch her… .” Deputies left without making any arrests.

According to another Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Report, Paula Bovo called 911 again in March 2019, saying, “She is scared he (Todd) will hurt her.” Reporting officers say Paula told them Todd said, “I’m going to kill you” and that he was “going to burn the house down.” Officers say they talked with Todd on scene who denied making any such threats. Officers noted the Bovos “both had conflicting stories” and that neither could be confirmed. Responding officers wrote, “We could not substantiate that a crime had occurred” and once again left without making any arrests.

Abuse allegations rose again in divorce proceedings when Paula Bovo sought a restraining order against Todd Bovo. But that was thrown out in a May 2019 decision by an Arapahoe County Judge who ruled, “Based on the evidence and testimony presented to the court …. the court hereby dissolves the temporary protection order as to all parties.” The judge also cancelled a second hearing that had been set on the same allegations.

It is in those proceedings where the accusations shift into Paula Bovo’s public and professional life. The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle has obtained two subpoenas issued by Todd Bovo, one to a prominent Denver attorney and the other to KCNC Investigative Reporter Brian Maass for them to appear at the May restraining order hearing that was subsequently dismissed by the Judge. In court filings, Paula claims the subpoenas are Todd’s efforts to harass her. But he claims they go to the heart of her credibility issues.

Alleged Assault On Boat

The attorney, who the Chronicle is not naming, consulted with the Bovos’ law firm on a civil case in 2018. Todd says in August of that year Paula told him she was meeting the attorney at the couple’s boat docked at Cherry Creek Reservoir. She apparently bought several bottles of wine for the rendezvous and the two of them cruised on Cherry Creek Reservoir. Todd claims when she came home, she was extremely upset and crying and claimed the attorney sexually assaulted her. Todd said she did not want to call police but in later months frequently mentioned the alleged assault to other people.

Mike Smith, a paralegal litigator who works with both Paula and Todd Bovo at their law firm, said she had also told him the attorney sexually assaulted her on the boat in the Cherry Creek Reservoir. “It was a few days after she met (the attorney) at the dock at Cherry Creek State Park and she was upset and finally expressed she had met (the attorney) there and that things were okay for a moment but that he approached her and forced himself on her, specifically sticking his tongue down her throat,” said Smith. Smith continued and indicating that Paula told him she pushed the attorney away adding that she appeared very upset as she told the story. “Emotionally you could tell she was distraught, something was clearly bothering her, weighing heavy on her,” said Smith.

Both Smith and Todd Bovo say Paula talked about the alleged assault on other occasions and even told an investigative reporter. KCNC’s Brian Maass interviewed Paula Bovo as a legal expert on an unrelated story that ran January 31, 2019. Todd claimed Paula told him that after the official interview ended, she told Maass the attorney sexually assaulted her. Smith said she told him the same thing. “After the Brian Maass interview, she said she had discussed it with Brian Maass and he now knew the situation,” said Smith. “Just that she had told him the same story as far as what happened at the dock, that Brian Maass now knew the story.”

Paula denies ever making such a claim. She said, “(The attorney) never sexually assaulted me and I never said that to anyone.” She adds, “And if anyone says I did they are not telling the truth.”

When the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle contacted reporter Maass he said, “I’m not going to be able to help you out on that.”

But Todd Bovo and Smith stand by their stories, adamant that Paula made the sexual assault allegations on numerous occasions.

Todd Bovo says it’s not right that someone with Paula’s stature in the community can keep making what he calls false allegations with potentially devastating consequences to him and others.

Show Cause Hearing

Paula Bovo’s professional credibility has been questioned before. In a July 2019 Federal Court order by Judge William Martinez regarding a civil case Paula was involved in, the judge took the unusual step of threatening to sanction her. According to the court document, Judge Martinez identified at least four instances in which Bovo “willfully misrepresented the Complaint, either by making false assertions about the contents of specific paragraphs or by asserting, without citation, that certain things had already been alleged.” The Judge ordered Paula to “show cause why she should not be sanctioned” for misrepresenting what was in the Complaint.

In September 2019 the Judge decided not to sanction Paula, writing, “Ms. Bovo accepts responsibility for her actions and displays what the Court finds to be genuine and appropriate contrition.” Ms. Bovo withdrew from the case on February 17, 2020, along with Mr. Bovo.

The FBI

Todd Bovo asserts not only was Paula a confidential source for negative stories about Glendale by Brian Maass while she was the Mayor Pro Tem she also was a source for the FBI in connection with an apparent FBI investigation involving the City of Glendale in early 2016.

An undercover FBI agent using the fake name of “Charles Johnson” showed up in Glendale. He was posing as a private investigator and knocking on the doors of citizens who made public comments about a proposed development at Colorado Boulevard and Virginia. The residents, who felt threatened and harassed reported “Johnson” to Glendale Police. Johnson was carrying multiple motor vehicle licenses from different states. The police arrested Johnson for failure to have a required private investigator license but the charges were dropped when the FBI intervened demanding all charges be dismissed. Johnson was apparently a top undercover agent who was outed during the Bundy trial in Nevada where he claimed to be a documentary film producer obtaining incriminating statements from the Bundy family members. The case against Cliven Bundy was thrown out by Federal District Court Judge Gloria Navarro for “flagrant prosecutorial misconduct.”

It was never clear what the FBI was investigating in Glendale. However, Jonathan Grusing, a top special agent for the FBI, was photographed with the principals of the Authentic Persian and Oriental Rug Company who were demanding and suing the city to be able to build a massive apartment building on the land on Colorado Boulevard and Virginia Avenue. Todd Bovo says unbeknownst to other City Council members, Paula was regularly meeting with the FBI during this time. He says he does not know what she said but notes Paula was eventually forced to hire a criminal defense attorney to represent her on the matter. According to a Fee Agreement dated February of 2016 the attorney was hired to “provide legal representation of Paula Bovo… in the pending investigation by the state and federal authorities in the State of Colorado… pertaining to the investigation and any pending charges related to Glendale municipal government activities.”

Whatever the FBI was looking into, the investigation seems to have ended and the only person ever arrested was the undercover FBI agent Johnson.

Reaction

Jeff Allen, COO of the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce, who was on the City Council with Ms. Bovo, stated: “If the former Mayor Pro Tem Bovo was acting as a source for Brian Maass for his negative and unfair stories about Glendale and while secretly meeting with the FBI without informing the City Attorney or her fellow council members, she utterly betrayed our trust and I am, for one, ashamed of her.”

The Chronicle reached out to Ms. Bovo for her response to the allegations and any other information she wished to provide. In response she sent the following statement: “As a victim of domestic violence and a mother of young children, I find it reprehensible that my ex-husband and the Cherry Creek Chronicle have chosen to inflict more harm upon me and my children by sharing my private life and story for the benefit of revenge; due to ongoing lawsuits I cannot comment further.”

Todd Bovo noted: “It breaks my heart to see the mother of my children and soon to be ex-wife continue to make allegations that couldn’t be further from the truth. Paula’s claims are insulting and offensive to the true victims of domestic violence. “

The next court date on the dissolution of the marriage of the Bovos is a four-day hearing for permanent orders scheduled to start June 23, 2020.

After 86 Years, Three-Story Development Is About To Replace The Bonnie Brae Tavern

by Mark Smiley | Jan 24, 2020 | Main Articles

by Glen Richardson

One of the Cherry Creek Valley’s longest continually owned and operated family businesses is about to become history. The long-running Bonnie Brae Tavern that opened in 1934 with an old-school ambiance, dishing out red-sauce Italian and American dishes, is likely to be scraped-off by redevelopment.

Early-stage development plans submitted to the city indicate that the 0.76-acre site at 740 S. University Blvd. will be replaced by a 40-foot, three-story building with 43 apartments plus, in theory, 16,500-sq.-ft. of retail on the ground floor. The development would also have one level of below-ground parking. At this point there is no guarantee that the plot will in fact be sold or exactly what any development will look like. Some anticipate that the retail will be jettisoned as it has been in other so-called “mixed use” projects and the entire development will simply be one more apartment/condominium project. The property owners have obtained a non-historic designation for the building and demolition certificate which is valid until May 1, 2024.

Plans are listed under the name Joe Jundt who is developing the project with two local partners. Jundt reportedly envisions one of the floor-level retail units as a higher-end restaurant, noting the area is surrounded by pricey Belcaro and Wash Park homes. A Bonnie Brae Tavern rebirth is unlikely, however, as there have been no discussions of the Tavern reopening in the project.

Changing History

The east end of the Tavern building is leased to In & Out Cleaners. The Tavern property also includes the building at 750 S. University. Formerly a Bank of the West site, the building now is home to Wish Gifts. Both businesses would be demolished according to plans for the new project.

Carl and Sue Dire bought the block of land in 1933 when University Boulevard was a dirt road. The Dires opened a gas station on the corner and Bonnie Brae Tavern was opened at its current location in 1934, the same family still runs it. Looking east was sagebrush as far as the eye could see until Colorado Boulevard, interrupted by a dairy farm or two. To the west, instead of today’s pop-tops of prime real estate, there were modest bungalows of a young neighborhood named Washington Park.

The tavern’s lack of pretentiousness made it a favorite hangout for those in Glendale who viewed themselves at the time as far more agrarian than urban. Well into the 1950s Bonnie Brae Tavern was considered by many as part of greater Glendale rather than Denver.

Carl Dire – he died in 1982 – invested every dime he had in the weeds and dirt along the east side of the street. With prohibition out, Dire had decided to open a bar in what was one of the driest neighborhoods in Denver. Dire and his wife Sue – she passed away in 2002 – named the business after the housing development Bonnie Brae that surrounded it. Like the restaurant, the neighborhood took time to grow into its name, which is Gaelic means “pleasant hill.” In 1934, it was nothing more than a scandal-ridden development that had gone bankrupt a few years earlier.

High Property Taxes Drive Sale

The impetus for the proposed sale has been the steep rise in property taxes for commercial property in the City and County of Denver. The last tax bill increased the levy by $30,000 for a $73,000 total. The owners noted that some businesses in the area are paying as much as $10,000 a month, which he finds would be prohibitive for many small independent businesses. It brings into question for some, can the Bonnie Brae commercial area on University survive? The old “Campus Lounge,” long a popular hangout like Bonnie Brae Tavern, is on its third proprietor in just a few years. As many small businesses are fleeing Denver, some do hang on as highlighted in the article on Page 1, “Old School Holdouts.”

Amid Continuing Construction Chaos Cherry Creek Searches For Its Shopping Soul

by Mark Smiley | Jan 24, 2020 | Main Articles

District Ponders Beverly Hills Hip Vs. NY Village Vibes; Dumpsters On Street Plus Sardine Can Size Micro Apartments

by Glen Richardson

In 2018 Cherry Creek North projected completion of nine out of 10 of its building projects, but as the new decade begins the flurry of construction shows no sign of slowing. The neighborhood has slapped on so much development in the past half-dozen years many residents and small business owners are wishing for a moratorium to absorb the growth.

The pace of development-driven change has been head-spinning, adding millions of square feet of apartment and commercial space while upending shopping and crushing the streetscape, parking and vibe of the district.

In addition to lack of planning for and management of projects, construction workers and developers have total control of the streets with little or no concern for shoppers or retail owners. Equally disturbing, the district still hasn’t decided on a direction to take to make the district an attractive destination.

Beverly Hills Look

At the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District’s December board meeting, BID officials once again contemplated trying to become Beverly Hills. It was the third time the board has listened to Emzy Veazy III tell them how to copy Beverly Hills and retake lost marketing share and become a world class destination. He also attended and addressed BID in 2006 and 2017.

Beverly Hills, of course, is known as one of the most fashionable places to shop. In the heart of it all sits Rodeo Drive — one of the most famous streets on the globe. It has more than 100 world-renowned stores and hotels along its three blocks.

BID board member Terri Garbarini — owner of a Cherry Creek women’s shop for more than 20 years — has pushed for the Beverly Hills image. She once told the Denver Business Journal, “Cherry Creek has become Beverly Hills without pretentiousness — and business wants in.” She originally had a shoe store in Larimer Square, then relocated to Cherry Creek and reopened as a dress shop on 3rd Ave. In 2013 Garbarini paid $5 million for the building at 239 N. Detroit St. and moved into the larger space.

Or New York Style

Meanwhile Matt Joblon — CEO of BMC Investments and another BID Board Member — has been transforming the district into something much more like New York’s Greenwich Village. His projects have added New York style hotels and eateries to Cherry Creek. Joblon’s $30 million makeover of the Inn at Cherry Creek underway on Clayton St. is being designed as an 18-hour-a-day nightlife hub similar to those in the Village.

Referred to as the “Village” by New Yorkers, its history is artsy and edgy. It is eminently walkable, and may have more culture per square foot than any other area of New York. Today it also features sleek new construction, upscale restaurants and dozens of gyms.

Jokingly introduced by former Neighborhood Assn. President Robert Vogel as the man who wants to change the district’s name to “Joblonville,” BMC built the Steele Creek Apartments, Halcyon Hotel, the Financial House and St. Paul Collection. Projects scheduled to start this year include a five to seven-story structure with retail on Fillmore St. and a six-story Equinox Fitness building on St. Paul

Eateries, Retail Turmoil

Not all of the BID board, however, has benefited from the district’s massive construction projects. Marshall Miranda closed his distinctive Bombay Clay Oven on Steele St. in April of last year. A Cherry Creek fixture since 1997, he blamed the closure on “several years of heavy construction that made access to the eatery difficult and parking all but impossible.” Laurel Cherry Creek, a 12-story luxury condo opened several months later.

Hedge Row — the restaurant across from Miranda’s eatery at 100 Steele St. — shuttered before Miranda called it quits. Kitchen Restaurant Group co-founder Kimbal Musk blamed parking shortages and constant lane closures for the decision. Construction was also a factor for the Thirsty Lion closure. Harmon’s Eat & Drink didn’t renew its least on East 2nd Ave. blaming rent increases. Even Wolfgang Puck couldn’t make it in Harmon’s space.

Cherry Creek’s retail has also struggled due to the unmanaged building boom and rapidly rising rents. After five years in the upscale Fillmore Place development, the Hallmark store at 2940 E. 2nd Ave. closed in January. The store’s lease ended last July but remained open through the holidays paying rent monthly. The Jonathan Adler’s store at 158 Fillmore St. in Cherry Creek also closed last year. The high-end furnishings brand was the only Adler store in the region. Other closures included Eccentricity, a women’s clothing, accessories and gift store at 290 Fillmore St. and St. Croix on East 3rd Ave.

Positive Shopping News

Many residents and longtime state/regional customers are concerned about the future of what has long been a neighborhood hangout for shopping, dining and entertainment. The uncertainty that comes with new construction, vacant storefronts and potential new owners makes them apprehensive.

As development triggers the departure of eateries and retail shops — particularly independent boutiques — there’s also a bit of positive news to uplift shoppers. Rather than closing Adornments, owner Helen Wicker has sold the local store to longtime manager Consuelo Diaz. Wicker has moved to Santa Fe where she owns sister store Adorn.

Diaz has managed the Cherry Creek store for 23 years, assisting the boutique’s devoted customers. “Adornments will continue the unique, stylish and artistic vision that has made the fashion store a Valley favorite,” she tells the Chronicle. The store features a continuously changing collection of clothing, jewelry and accessories. Diaz and her friendly-knowledgeable staff enjoy helping women with their individual style and finding “clothing and accessories to Adore.” Adornments is located at 2826 East 3rd Ave. Information: 303-321-7992.

Dumpsters, Micro Flats

District shop owners, however, continue to face challenges due to the uncontrolled construction. Harriet’s, a clothing boutique at 300 Fillmore, recently found a construction dumpster taking up the metered spaces in front of the shop. Owner Harriet Gibson, an unabashedly direct business woman, eventually got the dumpsters moved albeit only few spaces down the street in front of the library.

Upscale Cherry Creek North shopping faces yet another challenge: Limited land in the district is attracting another kind of development — living like fancy sardines in micro apartments. A five-story, 37-unit micro-apartment building is expected to open this spring at 135 Adams St. in Cherry Creek. Amazingly neighborhood groups couldn’t halt the Barry Hirschfeld-led development that features no parking in the already dense neighborhood.

Whether Cherry Creek chooses to imitate Greenwich Village or Beverly Hills, the district is unlikely to become an awe-inspiring destination until it becomes walkable, has parking and can attract and keep shopping boutiques, vibrant venues and restaurants that create a unique destination.

Cycle Lane Lunacy? B-Cycle Is Shutting Down

by Mark Smiley | Dec 16, 2019 | Main Articles

Public Works Scrambles To Find A Substitute; The City Is Also Ending Its Electric Scooter Program

by Glen Richardson

Despite a 2020 Denver bike lane budget of $11 million, another $4 million for bike safety plus $3 million for “high-comfort” bike lanes on 18th and 19th Streets, Denver B-Cycle is shutting down on January 30, 2020, and won’t be replaced any time soon.

The company’s exit from Denver will take 737 publicly available bikes off the street at the end of this month.

Moreover, the city is also ending its electric scooter permit program and hoping to replace it with a system where scooter and shared bike providers will compete for a city contract.

Bid Peddling

Denver Public Works is now in the process of looking for a new company to operate bike and scooter services through a competitive bidding process that isn’t expected to be completed until the middle of this year. That means months are likely to pass between the end of B-cycle availability and the debut of a new system.

Amid competition from electric scooter and bike companies, dwindling ridership and shallow revenues — the city peddled 5,280 annual bike-share passes for free to incentivize biking instead of driving —many are questioning if the B-cycle era can make a comeback.

City government has helped fund the bike-share system but did not operate it, and it will not run one in the future, according to Mike Strott, a spokesman for the Mayor’s Office. In the first six months of Denver’s sanctioned dockless transport program, six e-bike and e-scooter companies combined to average about 5,100 trips a day.

Cost Cutting

By issuing a request for proposals from private bike-share and scooter-share companies to operate in Denver, Public Works hopes the system will be less costly. The contracts will replace the permitting system that has allowed companies like Lime and Jump to operate.

The competitive bidding process “will help Denver better manage and coordinate the delivery of these commercial operations and help ensure the city partners with the most qualified operator(s) to further its mobility goals,” according to a DPW statement. A decision on who will operate the program(s) won’t be made until at least this summer, Pubic Works admits.

But even if Public Works is able to get a new company or companies by this summer, getting a new bike share system up and running could take several more months. That, many observers including bikers, worry will make the delay even more lengthy. Upshot: Such a wide gap in service is likely to push B-cycle users into buying cars. Moreover, many families used B-cycle so they would only need one car.

Dated System

Denver’s B-cycle bikes and docking stations needed to be replaced. Many dated to when the system was launched in 2010, according to Mike Pletsch, executive director of Denver Bike Sharing, the nonprofit that runs B-cycle. But the organization doesn’t have the money to replace the equipment or renew its contract with Trek, the bicycle manufacturer that developed the system.

“The continued aging of the system and the cost to work with B-cycle is too high for us,” he said. “The funding is just not there to do it.”

The organization’s 2018 budget totaled $1 million, according to its annual report. The city provided it with $800,000 in 2019, and about half of that was dedicated to a program that handed out the 5,280 free passes.

Falling Ridership

B-cycle ridership has been falling steadily since its peak in 2014. The system’s riders took 377,000 trips that year compared with 305,000 in 2018, a 19 percent decline, according to the annual report. The decrease in riders corresponds roughly with the rise of ride-hail services like Uber and Lyft, and the arrival of dockless scooters and bikes last year.

But Denver’s bike share system has never had the high number of stations needed to reach high ridership levels, like those in Paris, New York, or Mexico City. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, successful systems provide 28 stations per square mile. Denver B-Cycle had about a half-dozen per square mile.

“We’ve got 89 stations currently and there certainly needs to be more,” says Pletsch. Those docking stations are spread out over seven neighborhoods and host the system’s 716 bikes.