DENVER — Inside the Central Park Recreation Center's gym, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston held a community town hall on Thursday to address changes coming to the Quebec Street corridor.
Denver7 was at the town hall at breaks down the five key topics discussed by the mayor and Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis.
Closure of Quebec Street hotel-shelter
Johnston began the town hall by addressing the closure of the hotel-shelter located at 4685 N. Quebec Street, which is scheduled for March 2026. According to the mayor, the City of Denver will save $11 million with the closure, which will help as city officials try to shore up a multi-million dollar budget gap.
Several community members told Denver7 they're concerned about the closure.
"I want to make sure we are not just taking that away without providing a better solution," said Nam Henderson, who attended the town hall.
In his presentation, Johnston said housing opportunities and/or permanent shelter will be available for all residents who live at that site.
Furthermore, the city will also begin phasing out its micro communities, including Monroe Village in Elyria Swansea, which is set to close in June 2026.
Johnston told the crowd that those communities have four-year leases, and the plan has always been to replace them with workforce housing for teachers, firefighters, and other professions.
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Accountability for new providers
In the coming weeks, Johnston said the city is expected to announce the new providers for shelter sites that were formerly managed by The Salvation Army.
The City of Denver announced in August that The Salvation Army's operations at three shelters — The Aspen, Stone Creek, and Tamarac — would end when its contracts expired in Denver.
Johnston and Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, who also attended Thursday's meeting, said there will be new standards to hold the new providers accountable, including requiring those living in the shelters to meet with a case manager at least once per week.
"That’s the expectation for folks who are in our housing, that’s the expectation for taxpayers who are supporting it, that folks are moving toward permanent housing options," Johnston said Thursday.
Community ambassadors along Quebec Street
If approved by the city council, Johnston announced community ambassadors will be coming to the Quebec St. corridor in the new year.
Similar to the program in Denver's Ballpark District, he said four team members per day would be focused on cleanliness, safety and services in the area.
Retail theft in Northfield and Quebec Square
The mayor also discussed a pilot program launched five months ago to tackle retail theft in two popular shopping areas, Northfield and Quebec Square.
According to Johnston, the city is helping business owners become less susceptible to theft.
Along with that, Johnston said the focus is on more arrests for repeat offenders and placing area restrictions on them. For example, if a suspect has stolen from the same shop multiple times, a judge can restrict the individual from returning to that area, according to the mayor.
Bridge improvements
At the meeting, Johnston told the crowd that the city's most at-risk bridges are along Quebec St: the Smith Road, Sandown, and Airlawn bridges. He said those three bridges will be replaced, with construction slated to start in 2027.
