WATCH the mayor’s address here: http://denver.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=1020
By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Mayor John Hickenlooper gave a sobering State of the City address Tuesday morning, saying the city is “engulfed by the worst economic crisis of our lifetime.”
“But in the midst of the global recession Denver remains a place for optimism,” continued the mayor, giving his annual address at the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park.
Hickenlooper called attention to successes over the past year — including the nearly flawless organization of the Democratic National Convention — but there was no hiding from the city’s $120 million budget shortfall.
The future of Denver rests with the voter-approved FasTracks project, despite its $2.2 billion budget shortfall, said Hickenlooper.
“It’s no secret that FasTracks has confronted financial problems, but we are determined to do what is necessary to ensure that this vision is completed as promised to our voters — in its full breadth and scope,” said the mayor.
With enormous eyes, Hickenlooper looked ambitiously towards the extension of 119 miles of new light rail track, including the estimated $478 million redevelopment of Union Station — the cornerstone of the entire FasTracks project.
“This isn’t your father’s train station,” said Hickenlooper, saying the future station will be a “new, vibrant hub for our city … a transportation center linking the region and a catalyst for all metro Denver.”
The master plan calls for two commercial mixed-use buildings scheduled for construction next to the “wings” of Denver Union Station.
“When completed, Denver Union Station will not only be a landmark urban setting, it will also serve as a symbol of the change and transformation that has occurred in the Central Platte Valley,” Hickenlooper continued.
Redevelopment at Denver International Airport was also an optimistic point for Hickenlooper Tuesday. Plans to build a world-class Westin Hotel, a FasTracks station, an open-air plaza and redevelop the Great Hall had the mayor thinking brightly about the future of the city.
But the immediate future does not look so bright, said Hickenlooper. With overall revenues down 8 percent this year for the city, the mayor said “everything is on the table.”
A hiring freeze could turn into more furlough days, or even layoffs, the mayor’s administration has said in the past, though he was not as direct Tuesday during his State of the City address.
“There are more tough decision to make,” he said Tuesday underneath an almost paradoxical beautiful morning sky. “All of us will feel the impacts.”
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
