Thanks goes out to the GCCC for allowing me to use my column this month to talk about a cause that is very important to me. Wasted food has become rampant, even in the communities we live in. Here’s a factoid, more than one-third of the food produced for consumption in the U.S. won’t be eaten. Considering the food thrown out by supermarkets, restaurants, schools, hospitals, at home and elsewhere, the food waste toll comes to 40 percent of the food supply. In fact, 18 percent of landfill and that is staggering.
The good news is that people are becoming more aware of this situation and are doing something about it. Through my radio shows the Modern Eater and the Modern Drinker that air live every Saturday at 6 p.m. on 630 KHOW I had the privilege to meet Arlan Preblud who heads up the local non-profit We Don’t Waste.
We Don’t Waste currently serves more than 120 of Denver’s community-based, non-profit agencies. The food sourced by We Don’t Waste augments the food programs of the non-profits it serves, allowing these organizations to reduce their food budgets while still serving wholesome, nutritional meals. Since inception, We Don’t Waste has distributed over 14 million servings of food to Denver’s underserved populations.
After interviewing Arlan on my show I knew I wanted to do my part to help create awareness for the ridiculous amount of food we waste. It breaks my heart to think that there are many hard working families right here in our community who may not be starving, but they just don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and that’s unacceptable in this day and age.
Here’s where creating awareness for this wasted food epidemic becomes fun. I dreamed up this idea of gathering up some of Denver’s top chefs who will take wasted food that was destined for a landfill and recovering it through We Don’t Waste and turning it into gourmet dishes for you to enjoy! I’ve turned this innovative idea into an event called Dumpster Dinner.
Check this out! On May 21 at the Studios at Overland Crossing Dumpster Dinner and Dumpster Dance will go off, and you can attend. You’re not going to believe this lineup. From 5-7 p.m. the VIP portion of the evening will include a very intimate Get Spoiled experience with participating local chefs representing their restaurants (listed below). Only 100 VIP tickets will be sold. With your VIP ticket you will enjoy offerings from these amazing chefs that will be paired with the finest local Colorado craft beer, spirits and wine (listed below). Your VIP ticket includes the admission into the Dumpster Dance that follows the dinner.
From 6:30-10 p.m. Dumpster Dance will step off (only 400 tickets are available if you just want to attend the dance). The dance part of the evening is awesome if I must say so myself. You will be treated to comfortable lounge seating, complemented with a shabby chic décor along with a lineup of the best entertainment that Denver has to offer. Enjoy the soulful dulcet tones of the national performer Rob Drabkin who is headlining the Dumpster Dance! The breakout Denver band AMZY will kick things off and they will be sure to get you up and dancing. Don’t worry about being hungry or thirsty, continue to enjoy the best Colorado craft beer, spirits and wine along with a buffet of delicious food prepared by the chefs, then grab some fresh local meat off the smokers and grills. The entertainment doesn’t stop while you soak in the visual stimulation of aerial bartenders, contortionist, fire performances and more! Don’t miss out on this amazing event benefiting a much needed organization in “We Don’t Waste!” For more information and tickets you can go to dumpsterdin ner.com. If you’re just interested in going to the dance go to dumpsterdance.com. Don’t miss out, I’ll see you there!
Your pal, Sheik!
Here is a list of the amazing Denver restaurants and chefs and the Colorado craft beer, wine and spirit purveyors.
Restaurants And Chefs
Chef Daniel Asher – Root Down + Linger
Chef Jesper Jonsson – Auguste Escoffier
Chef Nikki Olst – Epicurean Group
Chef Kevin Savoy – Carbon Beverage Cafe & Habit Doughnuts
CLICK HEREfor the entire raw, unedited and unaltered transcript and audio recording of the incredible Tehranian Death Star meeting with the wealthy Persian rug merchants Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and Nasrin Kholghy, and their high-powered consultants Dana Crawford, David Tryba, Chris Shears and Bill James, seeking to pressure Glendale officials — Police Captain Mike Gross and Deputy City Managers Chuck Line and Linda Cassaday — into tentatively approving a massive 50- to 60-story condo high-rise on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek.
Listen for yourself to the so-called “historic preservationist” Dana Crawford declaring that citizens in Denver were “hysterical about blocking their views” as well as offering “special sugar” for approval of the massive project. Hear famed architect David Tryba demand that Glendale be “more encouraging [about] more verticality” and RTD Director Bill James asserting that because Glendale is a separate jurisdiction surrounded by Denver it would be “easier to get away with” this type of massive high-rise.
Experts are calling the recording and transcript “unprecedented” and “extraordinary” and “a must hear and read” for any citizen in the Denver/Glendale area concerned about how developers and their consultants try to, and usually succeed, in running roughshod over zoning and Master Plans put in place by citizens.
The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle has been inundated with e-mails, letters and correspondence concerning its March story “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed.” To be able to print more of the correspondence the Chronicle has elected to devote its entire editorial page to “We Get Letters . . . .”
I must congratulate the Chronicle. Over a year ago you indicated that the real goal of the wealthy rug merchants at Authentic Persian & Oriental Rugs was to build a massive high-rise on the 3.5 acres of land they own off Colorado Boulevard. They constantly denied the same to the public and then you capture them on tape doing exactly that. Amazing. Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law as well as their high priced consultants certainly know how run into a doorknob at full speed.
S. Johnson
Denver, CO
Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law Nasrin Kholghy are not nice people and I should know, I was one of their stalking targets in Glendale.
Douglas Stiff
Glendale, CO
I can’t tell you the outpouring of support I have gotten throughout Cherry Creek Valley for publically standing up to Kheirkhahi and against his proposed massive condo project. I want to thank the Chronicle for being the one publication in the Denver area that is never afraid to print the truth. Keep up the good fight
R. Wayne King
Glendale, CO
I am not a big fan of the Rug Merchants, but I support the idea of having a high-rise condo in Glendale and I think it could be a very successful development. Nobody is building condos these days and the city is saturated with rental properties. I’d be very interested in buying in a high-rise, providing it is a modern design with floor to ceiling windows and doesn’t have Tehran in its name.
Sasha Veysbeyn
Denver, CO
Thank you for continuing to update the Glendale public on the transformation of this situation. I want to thank the City Officials of Glendale for staying strong to protect the zoning codes and the city as it currently stands. I want the city of Glendale to know that we support you and do not want a building such as this in our neighborhood.
Laura Haas
Denver, CO
I have always had such admiration for Dana Crawford but it is easy to see the dollar signs in her eyes with this one. Since I don’t, I can easily see what a hideous monstrosity this would be, not to mention the nightmare it would create for people commuting. I hope the lawsuit ties this up for years. Who says we have to aspire to be like New York or Tehran… I think all of us who live here prefer a relatively unfettered view of our beautiful mountains. Stay strong, Glendale. Don’t let these people bully you into a disaster (and an ugly one at that).
Julie [last name not provided]
Denver, CO
Given the traffic congestion on Colorado Blvd., they should design a heliport on the top of this tower so that residents can access their condos.
Will Cameron
Denver, CO
Here’s to hoping that Death Star never gets started. The land and look and feel of Glendale just doesn’t lend itself to skyscrapers. Case in point, the perpetually abandoned looking, relic Lowes building. The biggest thing in Glendale that no one ever wants to even look at. That’s how out of place that monstrosity seems. So no, we don’t need a circa 1980’s Diehard movie, Nakatomi Plaza smack dab in the middle of what could be a a very nice, river-walk style, pedestrian, open retail area.
Jose Rosario
Denver, CO
You are the biggest racist I have ever seen. You Make Donald Trump look like Mother Teresa.
Whether the rug people are bad or not is not the issue. but your constant degradation of Iranians and Muslims is ridiculous. I hope the FBI has you on a watch list dude you are dangerous.
Donnie Smith
Denver, CO
I am so grateful to the Glendale city officials who have blocked the progress of M.A.K. development and the Kheirkhahi family with their monstrosity residential idea. I hope this blockage is forever. How unfair of them to corral the hi-falutin’ Denver city celebrities and power brokers to push their idea of a 56-story nightmare onto Glendale’s Colorado Boulevard profile. Also how unfair of them to request an exception to the city plan, rather than be good citizens and follow the plan. I held my breath until the final sentences of last month’s article. I shop in Glendale and Belcaro, eat at City Set, and use the Post Office and feel it’s my neighborhood still, even though I’ve moved to Windsor Gardens. I have sorely regretted the development that has already taken place in Glendale that has caused the lines of traffic on S. Cherry Creek Blvd. and increased traffic on Leetsdale and Colorado Blvd. South Cherry Creek Blvd. used to be an unknown, lightly-used and quick route down to Holly and Monaco and Quebec streets — a back way to go south. Now it’s stop-and-go most times of the day. And it is often hard to find parking at City Set where popular local restaurants are located. Glendale used to be a place where people could rent for less expense. More luxury condominiums are not what Denver needs. More low and middle income rentals are what is needed. Just what point are the Kheirkhahis trying to make with this monstrosity?
Colleen Nunn
Denver, CO
I was particularly surprised and dismayed to hear Crawford’s statement that “If we want to double Denver metropolitan population we’re going to have to get over our hysteria about high-rise buildings because Denver just, you know, the neighborhoods just get bonkers over the subject.” For one, who wants Denver’s population to double? Certainly not current residents! Denver is already plagued with heavy traffic, especially along Colorado Boulevard. Denver residents are proud to live in Denver and are grateful for this beautiful city — of course we don’t want to destroy it by over-populating it! For another, if the neighborhoods “get bonkers” over something, it is because it is an important topic and there are strong and majority opinions about it — someone truly looking out for the benefit of the city and its residents would not belittle or ignore those opinions.
I applaud and thank the City representatives for standing their ground and not being unduly influenced by a wealthy minority.
In perhaps a new low, a fake, unlicensed private investigator, Charles Johnson, was flown in from Nashville, Tennessee, to go to the homes and businesses of citizens of Glendale, Denver and Lakewood, who had all made remarks quoted in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle that might be deemed critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi, the principal owner of the Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs store and his proposed massive 50- to 60-story high rise condo project on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek (See Chronicle, March 2016, “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed”).
Harassment And Stalking
Various citizens from Glendale, Denver and Lakewood called the police complaining about the ongoing harassment and stalking from Johnson. He apparently is not licensed either in Colorado or Tennessee to conduct private investigations. Johnson even went to the private residence of Glendale City Clerk Sherry Frame and tried to obtain access into her complex.
Johnson Arrested
Johnson was arrested at 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Advantage Rent-A-Car trying to flee back to Nashville via an early morning plane flight. According to the police report obtained by the Chronicle through an open records request, Johnson stated “he was ‘hired’ by a female writer in Denver Colorado to conduct interviews with people who recently provided interviews to the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle regarding Glendale 180 . . . .” and later stated he was under contract with an “individual female writer/ journalist in the local area.” Johnson repeatedly refused to say who the individual was who hired him saying “she may want to get an attorney” and he had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the woman.
To some, the description appeared to perfectly fit Jeanne Price (see Chronicle, Feb. 2016, page 1, “Persian Rug merchants have Denverite Jeanne Price Digging Hard for Dirt”), who at different times has described herself as a reporter, writer, freelance columnist and senior researcher.
Calls by the Chronicle to Ms. Price inquiring whether she had contracted with or knew Charles Johnson were not returned. Price sits next to Kheirkhahi at Glendale City Council meetings and is believed to be employed by Kheirkhahi or his affiliated entities. Calls to Kheirkhahi from the Chronicle were also not returned. Legal experts indicate that individuals who knowingly contract with another to break the law may in some instances be charged themselves.
Scare Citizens
If the purpose of Johnson’s trip was to scare and intimidate citizens critical of the Persian rug merchants from talking with the media and in particular the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, he was successful at least partially.
Trish Abbott had published in the Chronicle a communication critical of the Kholghys (the in-laws of Kheirkhahi) in the December 2015 “We Get Letters . . .” He attempted to harass her at her former address and at her current one although she repeatedly told him she did not want to speak with him.
Abbott filed a harassment complaint against Johnson with the Glendale Police. The police report indicates that Abbott was clearly concerned that someone could find her address and track her down simply because of what she had said in a newspaper article. Abbott told the police “she would never make a statement or go on record for a paper again.”
Johnson asserted to the police that he tried to access the City Clerk’s complex because he did not want to meet with her in her office at City Hall. According to the police report, he indicated that “in his experience when he wants to talk with people they usually do not like to do so at their place of employment.”
Harassed At Work
That concept apparently did not apply to Richard Witholder who works in Lakewood. In a statement filed in Glendale and to be filed with the Lakewood police, Johnson showed up at Witholder’s place of employment in Lakewood, where he is the manager of a restaurant. An employee told him that a male was in the restaurant demanding to speak to “Richard.” When Witholder came out he declared that “I’m investigating your quotes you made in the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle” and insisted that Witholder sit down for an interview. When Witholder repeatedly refused he handed him his card and told him to call him.
Witholder immediately contacted the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle which indicated he should contact the police if he felt threatened. Witholder then contacted the Glendale police and arranged for a meeting with Johnson at the Starbucks in Glendale where Witholder hoped the threatening Johnson would be arrested.
At the same time Johnson had been harassing Glendale resident Douglas Stiff about his quotes. Stiff also contacted the Glendale police and immediately arranged to meet with Johnson at Carve Restaurant in Glendale. Because of statements made at the meeting with Stiff, the Glendale Police were able to determine whether Johnson was acting in the capacity of a private investigator in violation of Colorado law. Johnson never showed up for the meeting with Witholder.
Johnson was later arrested for acting as a private investigator in Colorado without a license in violation of C.R.S. Sec. 12-58.5-101. If convicted he is subject to being incarcerated for up to one year and/or up to a $1,000 fine. Witholder hopes that Lakewood will also file charges against Johnson when he returns to Colorado.
According the police report Johnson was carrying active drivers licenses from three different states — Hawaii, Florida and Tennessee. Most states make it a crime to possess more than one driver’s license at the same time. See Cal. V.C. Section 12511. It is not known whether Johnson when he returns to Colorado to face charges on not possessing a private investigators license whether he will also face charges of possessing drivers licenses from multiple states.
Giving False Information
The somewhat crude business cards handed out by Johnson in Colorado were printed at a angle and with an address of 3200 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 without a suite number. That address is a large office building at which he is not listed. He provided his home address to the Glendale Police as 2479 Murfreesboro Road, 222 Nashville, Tennessee 37217 which the Chronicle determined to be a UPS store.
The office phone listed on his card appears to be simply part of a general voicemail system. The cell phone number listed on the card may be to a so called “burner phone.” A burner phone is a prepaid device used specially for one purpose and then disposed. Burner phones are used for various purposes including by persons engaged in potentially illegal activities who do not want their phone to be traced back to them. The Chronicle called both numbers and left messages asking Johnson to call back. Both phone numbers went automatically into voice mail. The Chronicle did not receive any return calls from Johnson.
Unbowed And Unafraid
But if Johnson and his yet to be named employers here in Colorado were hoping to cower all citizens critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his affiliated entities they were unsuccessful. As noted above, Johnson tried to contact Douglas Stiff who both lives and works in Glendale. When Johnson harassed him in both locations Stiff not only contacted the Glendale Police but assisted with a face to face meeting which helped confirm to the Glendale Police that Johnson was engaged in illegal activities.
But more than that, Stiff was incensed by the actions of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi. “To get a massive high rise condo building in violation of Glendale’s zoning laws and Master Plan Mohammad forced our African American citizens who wanted to attend a City Council meeting to run a gauntlet set up by a racist para military unit of the Oath Keepers outside the door to City Hall,” said Stiff. “To intimidate the Hispanics in our community he brought in anti-immigration zealot Tom Tancredo wearing a Border Patrol hat. Now to silence Mohammad’s critics quoted in the Chronicle, someone hired an illegal private investigator who harasses me and others. If Mohammad and Jeanne Price are behind Johnson I hope they are fully prosecuted along with Johnson.”
But Stiff does not intend to be passive. “I am going to apply to be on the Planning Commission to be a voice in our community for upholding our zoning and Master Plan so that we don’t get projects like the Tehranian Death Star approved.” Stiff noted, “I know Mohammad’s sister-in-law [Nasrin Kholghy] objects to the mention of “Tehran” and cried on cue for Channel 7 in reference to her home city.”
Stiff pointed out that, “Mohammad’s agents tell the city staff at an openly recorded meeting they want a high rise condo project like those in Tehran and other cities, but after that nobody else is allowed to mention Tehran because to do so is racist or xenophobic or Islamophobic or everything else phobic. These people in my opinion are evil, despicable thugs and I doubt anyone from Hilltop or anywhere else would want to go to the Persian and Oriental Rug store if they found out what these individuals actually do to people and what they plan to do to our community.”
Stiff also indicated that he and some of his friends are considering picketing in front of the store to let people know who they are potentially dealing with and what they in fact want to build on Colorado Boulevard by Cherry Creek.
At the time of press, nobody from the Kheirkhahi team had responded to our inquiries for comment. After The Chronicle had gone to press, Ms. Jeanne Price and Ms. Nasrin Kholghy submitted separate letters denying that anyone from their team had hired Mr. Johnson. Their letters in their entirety are below:
Let us be clear: Our team has not now, nor at any point in the past, hired Charles Johnson as the newspaper irresponsibly hints. We have no need for such tactics and we have always been open about our position.
We also do not have any plans for a 60-story building. We also have nothing to do with this most recent allegation, which seems to be just the latest in a long line of attempts to disparage us, incite fear, inflame bigotry and racism, discourage our customers and try to run us out of business. As these wild accusations and misleading stories continue, our suspicions are growing stronger that this has indeed been the City’s plan for a long time.
Nasrin Kholghy
Let me state emphatically that I DID NOT hire an investigator nor do I need help from an investigator with my research. I have been seeking PUBLIC records from the City of Glendale and evidently that makes someone very uncomfortable at City Hall and/or at this publication. My efforts have been met with a great deal of resistance and now inflated charges for simple requests.
Apparently, this is why I’m being attacked a second time by Mr. Smiley. I’m not sure who is pulling his strings but this is not reporting in any sense of the word. It’s harassment, disparagement and intimidation from a so-called newspaper but sadly, it’s all we have come to expect from this publication.
GLENDALE, CO – MARCH 12: Raptors vs Belmont Shores at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado on March 12, 2016. (Photo by Seth McConnell)
Just before the halfway point of their 2016 Pacific Rugby Premiership (PRP) campaign, the Glendale Raptors record remains an unblemished 5-0 in league play. With a handful of dominating performances to start their season, the Raptors’ find themselves on familiar footing atop the PRP table and look poised for a repeat of their championship performance from 2015.
“I’m very happy with where the team is at the moment,” Raptors head coach Andre Snyman said following a 63-7 victory over Belmont Shore to open up the team’s slate of home games in March.
It’s been coming together quicker than expected for the Raptor’s gaffer, which has given both the team and the coaching staff confidence as they look to finish the season strong.
“From a coaching standpoint, I think it took us the whole season to try and get the whole team prepared for the Final last season. It took us 10 games to get the guys all on the same page,” Snyman explained. “This season, for some reason, it just feels to us that the team is all on the same page after five games. In terms of chemistry, the environment and the way they’ve trained, it’s been better. That’s great.”
The challenge is maintaining that momentum for the games remaining in the PRP regular season.
“The downside is trying to keep it there and not get complacent,” Snyman explained. “It’s halfway through the season. They can’t switch off and assume it’s going to be a highway cruise to the final.”
But the Raptors have dealt with their fair share of challenges thus far, including a rigorous four-game road tilt to start the seaso
GLENDALE, CO – MARCH 12: Raptors vs Belmont Shores at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado on March 12, 2016. (Photo by Seth McConnell)
n.
“Obviously it’s four weeks in a row of travel. It takes its toll on the boys,” Snyman said of the challenge. “It’s tough, but I’m proud of the boys for sticking to it.”
In addition to the rigors of travel, Glendale has had to deal with the challenge of missing some of its best players for the early part of the season. Raptors captain Zach Fenoglio, along with young talents Chad London, Niku Kruger and Hanco Germishuys missed the first four games of the PRP season while taking part in the America’s Rugby Championship with the USA Eagles.
Despite this, the Raptors didn’t miss a beat, winning all four of those matches on the road. It’s been a testament to the depth that Snyman and his staff have built within the club.
“We anticipated it,” he said of the absence of his USA Eagle players. “We had a good idea which players would be a part of it and we trained accordingly. We’ve tried to bring future players into those positions and we’ve been very fortunate to have depth within the club. It’s very good.”
International duty still often comes at a price to the club, however. Fenoglio suffered a neck injury while with the Eagles at last year’s Rugby World Cup. The ailment lingered throughout the start of the season until Fenoglio made his debut in 40 minutes of action against Belmont.
“It was nice to see him back on the field with his leadership and the way he played coming off of an injury,” Snyman said of Fenoglio’s performance in that game. “He looks good. He’s not 100 percent fit but he’s working really hard on that. He played a solid 40 minutes.”
Additionally, the high profile of international rugby has made Glendale’s best players targets for the newly formed Professional Rugby Organization (PRO Rugby).
“Unfortunately we’re going to lose those players with the PRO league. Niku, Chad and Hanco won’t be playing with us,” Snyman said. “We’re in a fortunate position that the players that took their place are the same players that are going to step up and finish the season for us. I’m confident that the players are good enough to keep the momentum moving forward.”
Overcoming adversity is as much a part of rugby as overcoming one’s opponent. If the Raptors’ early returns are any indication of what lies ahead, this year’s team looks to be primed for another run to the final.
“You can’t just run on the field and expect to win. You’ve got to always be prepared for a fight,” Snyman concluded. “We’re just going to focus on the task at hand. We’re going to take things a game at a time and edge our way closer and closer to a position in the final.”
The annual Cherry Creek Chamber luncheon was held on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Cherry Creek North. The well attended luncheon had back by popular demand Brian Voight, CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens, as the master of ceremonies, whose quick wit and charm once again enlivened the event.
Walter Isenberg, the CEO and co-founder of Sage Hospitality Resources, was the keynote speaker. He told about his humble beginnings and attending Cornell University where he obtained a degree in hospitality management. He decided he wanted to go to Cornell based on a strong recommendation from a fellow dishwasher who had never even graduated from high school. Today Sage Hospitality operates over 60 hotels and 10 independent restaurants in over 20 different states. Among the hotels it operates is the JW Marriott in Cherry Creek where the event was held.
Isenberg emphasized that in the hospitality business, like many other commercial ventures, the attitude and enthusiasm of the employees is everything. He relayed a story about going into a competing hotel which had a sign above the check-in desk which indicated that the customer was king, but, in fact, the staff treated you like you were an annoyance. He knew from that experience he did not have to worry too much about that hotel as a competitor.
Saying that employee attitude and enthusiasm is key is one thing, Isenberg noted, but actually creating an atmosphere where employees can thrive is another. He stressed that it takes hard work and actually caring about it yourself as CEO, along with others in top management, to help make it happen.
The Sage Hospitality CEO also delved into the fact that the country has had 72 months of growth as modest as it might be and the law of business cycles had not been made obsolete as the 2008 financial crash painfully demonstrated. He also remarked that the hospitality industry is something of a canary in a coal mine in that a downturn in the hospitality business often presages a dramatic downturn in the economy as a whole. After his remarks Isenberg received a standing ovation from the appreciative audience.
Another hit was the presentation from Chamber Executive Director Christine Des Enfant who gave a detailed overview of the growth, or some would say overgrowth, of the Cherry Creek North area with information provided by, inter alia, Peter Staab, Senior Managing Director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank who produces a quarterly Cherry Creek Market Overview. (See detailed map of Cherry Creek Projects Underway on Pages 16-17.) Included in Des Enfant’s presentation, for levity, was an official Cherry Creek Area Monopoly Board.
Des Enfant noted that there are at least three new office buildings being built and three new hotels including the Halcyon at 245 Columbine which will be seven stories high and contain 133 rooms. The hotel is being developed by Insenberg’s Sage Hospitality.
What was amazing to many in the audience was the number of new apartment and condominium buildings being constructed including the 12-story CODA at 100 Steele Street containing 185 units scheduled to be finished this summer.
In the gift bag provided to attendees was a handy color coded “Your Easy Guide to Parking” in Cherry Creek North just in case you were feeling a “perceived lack of parking” in the area.
Capping off the luncheon were the annual awards. Jessica Bachus, founder of Dolls for Daughters accepted the award for Nonprofit of the Year. Dolls for Daughters and Kenzi’s Kidz work to support underprivileged children and their families in Colorado by providing toys, food, and more during the holidays, school supplies and clothing during the school
year, and assisting families through community outreach, financial planning and professional support.
Fascination St. Fine Art at 3rd and Detroit took home the hardware for Business of the Year. The gallery features original paintings, sculpture and limited edition artwork by the finest regional, national and international artists.
The Community Leader of the Year went to Cindy Patton, the Parking and Planning Manager of Denver Public Works. An attendee who had been stuck in traffic throughout last summer by Ms. Patton’s handy work in Cherry Creek North, jokingly wondered out loud whether the other nominees for this particular award were Hays Griswold, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator for the Gold King Mine spill, or Lois Lerner of the IRS.
Finally, the Chamber’s Director’s Award went to Anna Spalding from Regus. In an emotional acceptance speech, Spalding lauded the Chamber as an incredible place to network and make long lasting friendships. For more on the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce, visit www.cherrycreekchamber.org.
The map, above, and legend were reprinted with the permission of Pete Staab, Senior Managing Director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. It was originally presented as the 4th Quarter 2015 Cherry Creek Market Overview at the Cherry Creek Chamber luncheon.
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, a Global Leader in Commercial Real Estate, is one of the world’s leading commercial real estate advisory firms. They provide a fully integrated platform of services to prominent multinational corporations and institutional investors across the globe, as well as to occupiers, owners and developers of real estate on a local, regional and national level.
Pete Staab’s experience includes Office Leasing and Sales, Landlord and Tenant Representation, New Construction Development, and Corporate Real Estate Services. Mr. Staab can be reached at 303-260-4346, pstaab@ngkf.com, or www.ngkf.com.
Thanks goes out to the GCCC for allowing me to use my column this month to talk about a cause that is very important to me. Wasted food has become rampant, even in the communities we live in. Here’s a factoid, more than one-third of the food produced for consumption in the U.S. won’t be eaten. Considering the food thrown out by supermarkets, restaurants, schools, hospitals, at home and elsewhere, the food waste toll comes to 40 percent of the food supply. In fact, 18 percent of landfill and that is staggering.
