This Week’s Denver Deal Sheet: Mayor Launches New Permitting Office

Mayor Mike Johnston, elected in 2023, has signed his first executive order, establishing the Denver Permitting Office. It’s a major overhaul aimed at cutting down the city’s notoriously slow permitting process. 

The new office, launching in May, will coordinate nearly 300 staff across seven departments and commit to completing permit reviews within 180 days of time in the city's hands.

The effort is intended to make it easier to build housing, open businesses and spur economic activity. Jill Jennings Golich, deputy executive director of Denver Community Planning and Development, will lead the office. A new executive committee will also review any stalled projects and, in some cases, issue partial fee refunds.

The DPO’s launch follows recent improvements in single-family permitting where review times dropped 37% from 2023. 

“To make housing more affordable and make it easier to do business, we have to remove unnecessary obstacles and streamline city processes so builders can spend less time with permit reviews, and more time creating quality construction jobs that drive our economy,” Johnston said in a statement.

SALES

Inland Real Estate Investment Corp. sold Solaire Apartments, a 252-unit complex at 1287 S. Eighth Ave. in Brighton. The 2013-built property was 96% leased at the time of the sale. 

LEASES

Colorado Air Filter LLC leased 20K SF of office and warehouse space at 340 E. 56th Ave. Tom Bevans of Antonoff & Co. represented the landlord, Bell Family Trust, while Jack Reilly of Transworld Commercial Real Estate represented the tenant.

CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Southern Land Co. has begun move-ins at Arden Karl’s Farm, a 142-unit apartment and townhome community in Northglenn. Full completion is expected this summer. The project includes 3-bedroom units, coworking space, a dog park and a resort-style pool.

FINANCING

Ulysses Development Group closed on financing for Harvest Hill, a 152-unit affordable housing project near RTD’s Broomfield Station near U.S. 36 and Wadsworth Parkway. The $33M capital stack includes $20M in federal tax credits and $4.8M in accelerated state credits. Units will serve residents earning 30% to 70% of area median income. Construction is expected to begin this summer and wrap in spring 2027.

THIS AND THAT

A new ballot committee called Keep West Pearl Open has launched to oppose a petition that would permanently close a section of West Pearl Street in Boulder. The group, co-chaired by local Mexican restaurant owner Peter Waters and former city council member Rachel Friend, says the closure would cost millions, reduce parking and hurt downtown businesses. More than 130 local businesses and two-thirds of City Council members oppose the measure, according to the group.

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The build-to-rent sector hit a new national high in 2024, with 39,000 single-family rental homes delivered nationwide — a 15.5% jump from 2023, according to a Yardi Matrix report. While Phoenix led the pack, Denver landed at No. 20 for five-year deliveries and No. 17 for most BTR units in the pipeline, with a 125% increase since 2019.