Tragedy on 16th St. Mall, The Mayor’s Surprising Veto, and a Ginormous New Park

Four stabbings along the 16th Street Mall last weekend left two people dead and put downtown back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Was the tragic violence just another sign of an increasingly unsafe city? Or an outlier on the path back to a vibrant, thriving downtown? Former mayoral candidate and criminal justice reform advocate Lisa Calderón joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to discuss the vibe shift downtown and all the other big stories of the week — from the mayor’s needle exchange veto to the massive news about the future of the Park Hill Golf Course. Paul quoted from former mayor Wellington Webb's comments at the PHGC press conference, Mayor Johnston’s statement on vetoing the needle exchange proposal and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment’s 2024 report on syringe access. He also mentioned the Uber lawsuit and a “ true old-school Chinese breakfast .” Bree mentioned our episode about the City of Denver’s bison herd. Lisa talked about trouble at the Denver Fire Department and our mountain parks . We are hiring! We’re looking to hire a social media manager, so if you love Denver and get what makes a great Instagram post, we want to hear from you. Apply here: https://apply.workable.com/city-cast/j/5854FBA163/ Get your tickets to HEYDAY now! We’re putting on an indoor fair with urban flair, like a classic county fair but with a very cool Denver twist. Join us on March 8 for classic carnival games, vintage arcade games, Denver-themed balloon art, and a full day of grandstand entertainment, featuring some of your favorite guests from the podcast. It’s family friendly, too, if you wanna bring your kids. Get those tickets now at www.heydaydenver.com . What do you think about the mayor after this hard week? We want to hear from you! And especially if you have any questions you want us to ask him. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm . Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsor of this January 17th episode: Denver Health Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise