South Broadway voters to decide if neighborhood improvements are worth higher property taxes

DENVER — South Broadway’s annual Halloween Parade brings the community out every fall. In fact, organizers like Caitlin Braun say it was “bigger, better than ever this year.”

“It's just so cool to see the energy on the street like that,” she told Denver7 on Monday.

The parade brings out more fun than frights. But for some in the funky, offbeat Baker neighborhood, the future can be a little scary.

“We're losing a lot of anchor businesses in this neighborhood,” said Spencer Madison, co-owner of Sputnik on South Broadway. “Expenses are going up all around.”

“We do see people in the alleys, we do see broken windows, we do see a lot of drug use, things like that that make people feel unsafe sometimes, and also are a hindrance to people trying to operate their businesses,” Braun said.

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South Broadway could see improvements if voters approve extra property taxes

Ryan Fish

The neighborhood has seen a string of popular businesses, such as The Hornet, close or relocate elsewhere, and the longtime Underground Music Showcase music festival had its swan song this summer.

A potential solution on the November ballot is a Broadway General Improvement District (GID) that would include a roughly two-mile stretch of South Broadway and Lincoln Street between 6th Avenue and Interstate 25. If approved, the measure would raise property taxes to fund community events, cleaning and maintenance, as well as 24/7 safety patrols.

“Not just security you pay to walk around, but they're trained to liaison with unhoused populations and business owners and have access to resources,” Braun explained.

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Other Denver neighborhoods, such as the Ballpark District, have also implemented improvement districts that include businesses, residents, or both.

Braun lives and works in the area and volunteers with the Broadway Merchants Association, which is leading the push for the self-taxing district.

According to the GID's financial plan, it would impose an 8.960 mill equivalent rate in 2026. Commercial properties worth $1 million would pay roughly $2,400 more in taxes per year, and residential properties worth $1 million would pay around $550 extra per year.

If approved, the district is projected to raise about $1.1 million next year, with half going to security.

“We'll use our funds, keep everything hyper-local,” said Braun. “It's only going to be going back into our community.”

• You can read the Broadway General Improvement District proposal below:

But some, like Madison, are hesitant about the idea. He said the “idea is great” and the improvements would be welcomed, but he feels "like this is something that the city should already be doing in our neighborhood.”

“The city should be providing advocates for [homeless] people,” Madison told Denver7. “The business owners shouldn't have to pay for that. The property owners shouldn't have to pay for that, beyond what they pay in their taxes already.”

There’s also concern that the move could raise rents and push more people and businesses out of the neighborhood.

“If the property taxes for the landlords go up, it passes directly to the small businesses who are renting from those landlords,” Madison added.

Residents and property owners in the district will decide next week whether the proposed improvements are worth the price tag.

Election Day is Nov. 4.

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