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Axios Denver
Denver home sellers can save some cash, if they speak up
When headlines broke about the National Association of Realtors settlement, sellers called their agents wondering: Am I off the hook to pay you?Why it matters: Sellers never technically had to offer compensation to the buyer's agent — and that number has technically always been negotiable — but it's certainly status quo.Reality check: According to a 2023 NAR report, 15% of consumers didn't know they could negotiate the commission. That share is much larger (31%) among younger buyers, ages 24-32.Catch up quick: The idea behind the settlement is that buyers should be paying their agent, but sellers can still offer some...
Colorado's Democratic governor warns Biden could lose if he doesn't "reinvent" strategy
Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis on Friday cast doubt on President Biden's chances of winning re-election without a significant shift in strategy, the New York Times reports.Why it matters: Although Polis has criticized Biden before, his recent remarks are the most pointed yet and come as the governor is being considered as a possible replacement for Biden on the 2024 ticket.What he's saying: Polis called questions and conversations surrounding Biden's ability to win in November "legitimate.""When you are down — and I think it's important that President Biden and his team realize that they're underwater in the polls, if the...
Colorado Democrats sound alarm about Biden with deafening silence
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet isn't the only top Colorado Democrat who sounds fearful about President Biden as the party's presidential nominee.Why it matters: The apprehension — and silence from previous supporters — is deafening in a blue state like Colorado, where Biden won by 14 percentage points in 2020.And some political strategists suggest that Biden's name at the top of the ticket will lead to Democratic losses downballot.State of play: One member of the state's seven Democrats in Congress, U.S. Rep. Dianna DeGette (D-Denver), is vocally supporting Biden, 81, after the first presidential debate.On the other side, U.S. Rep. Brittany...
Long COVID can still kill, new Colorado data shows
Long COVID is a "significant contributing factor" in the death of 38 Colorado residents in 2023 and another 14 so far in 2024, new state figures show.Why it matters: Years removed from the height of the pandemic, chronic conditions derived from COVID-19 continue to contribute to the state's death rate, CPR reports.What they're saying: "It doesn't surprise me. It's definitely something that we should pay attention to because long COVID exists," Dana Dabelea, an epidemiology professor at Colorado's School of Public Health, told the radio station.The big picture: The state's mortality rate is still higher than pre-pandemic years at 682 per 100,000 people, compared to a rate of 636 in 2019.In 2021, COVID ranked as the third leading cause of death and the age-adjusted death rate reached a peak of 772.6 before vaccines became more widely available.Yes, but: COVID is no longer one of the state's top 10 killers, CPR found. It ranked 12th when "underlying cases" of long COVID were added to the total.The bottom line: Life expectancy in Colorado rose to 79.9 in 2023, up from 2020 but not back to pre-pandemic levels of 80.9.Sign up for Axios Denver for free.
Blood popsicles, anyone? The weird ways Denver's zoo keeps animals cool on hot days
Bloodsicles, anyone?The big picture: That's just one of the ways the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, as it's newly renamed, is helping its animals beat the heat this summer.Driving the news: The challenge to keep the zoo's 2,500-plus creatures cool is even more strenuous this weekend as Denver faces triple-digit temperatures, staff tell us.Zoom in: Animal care specialists are coming up with creative ways for zoo residents to cool down apart from pools, fans, misters and air-conditioned spaces indoors.That includes making popsicles out of frozen blood and meat for some of the zoo's carnivores. Miss Tundra, the zoo's rescued grizzly...
Here's what's happening this weekend in Denver
This weekend in Denver: Explore tiny houses, taste unlimited tacos or see the Piano Man live at Coors Field. 1. 🏡 Colorado Tiny House FestivalSqueeze into a variety of tiny living spaces at the Colorado Tiny House Festival in Brighton.Why it matters: Colorado just passed legislation to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which can include tiny homes on foundations.Denver's City Council approved new standards for ADU construction last year.Zoom in: Attendees have the opportunity to tour small living structures, including tiny houses on wheels, container homes, yurts, skoolies, converted vans, RVs and ADUs.What to expect: Meet...
Denver's 8.81% sales tax explained: What you're really paying for
Data: City of Denver Municipal Code; Table: Alayna Alvarez/AxiosIf history is any indication, Denverites love to tax themselves. In fact, they've raised their own fees by more than 30% since 2018.By the numbers: The city's overall sales tax rate sits at 8.81%.That figure includes Denver's 4.81% local sales tax, along with taxes for the state (2.9%), the Regional Transportation District (1%) and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (0.1%), which funds more than 300 cultural and arts organizations.Zoom in: The 8.81% figure is largely buoyed by a handful of hikes approved by city voters over the last decade.The two most...
Denver's 8.81% sales tax explained: What you're really paying for
Data: City of Denver Municipal Code; Table: Alayna Alvarez/AxiosIf history is any indication, Denverites love to tax themselves. In fact, they've raised their own fees by more than 30% since 2018.By the numbers: The city's overall sales tax rate sits at 8.81%.That figure includes Denver's 4.81% local sales tax, along with taxes for the state (2.9%), the Regional Transportation District (1%) and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (0.1%), which funds more than 300 cultural and arts organizations.Zoom in: The 8.81% figure is largely buoyed by a handful of hikes approved by city voters over the last decade.The two most...
This Colorado brewery is emerging as the state's new beer ambassador
WeldWerks Brewing is now Colorado's ambassador to the craft beer world.The Greeley brewery boasts a national — and international — distribution footprint and is poised for 10% growth this year at a time when the industry overall is posting negative production numbers.Why it matters: With its stature, WeldWerks is replacing well-known brands like New Belgium, Avery and Oskar Blues — all of which sold to larger out-of-state conglomerates — as Colorado's hallmark destination for great beer.State of play: A recently completed $2 million expansion of its brewhouse — after the acquisition of its entire downtown parcel — is propelling WeldWerks and...
Mayor-backed plan will test whether Denver taxpayers want another sales rate hike
Data: Colorado Department of Revenue; Table: Thomas Oide/AxiosDenver leaders want voters to increase local taxes this fall, pushing the city's overall rate past 9%, and testing taxpayers at a time when consumer spending has slowed.The big picture: Denver Mayor Mike Johnston wants a 0.5% sales tax raise to generate $100 million annually to meet the city's affordable housing needs. Meanwhile, Denver Health, the city's safety net hospital, seeks a 0.34% hike to raise $70 million annually to cover operating costs.The intrigue: Denver voters don't often reject proposed tax increases, something economist Chris Stiffler of the left-leaning Colorado Fiscal Institute said...
This Boulder business will make your vintage denim dreams come true
Tucked in a north Boulder boutique is a jeanius named Melissa Keosann, who provides personalized fittings for anyone looking to find their perfect pair of vintage denim.Why it matters: Keosann's shop LOV'D — or the Library of Vintage Denim — changes the shopping scene by fitting the person to the pants, not the other way around.What she's saying: Her knack for making denim dreams come true took off shortly after the pandemic, when she started selling second-hand clothing online and doing house calls with piles of jeans in tow, she tells us.That passion blossomed into her new brick-and-mortar, where she...
This Boulder business will make your vintage denim dreams come true
Tucked in a north Boulder boutique is a jeanius named Melissa Keosann, who provides personalized fittings for anyone looking to find their perfect pair of vintage denim.Why it matters: Keosann's shop LOV'D — or the Library of Vintage Denim — changes the shopping scene by fitting the person to the pants, not the other way around.What she's saying: Her knack for making denim dreams come true took off shortly after the pandemic, when she started selling second-hand clothing online and doing house calls with piles of jeans in tow, she tells us.That passion blossomed into her new brick-and-mortar, where she...
Denver's apartment sizes are growing
Data: RentCafe; Chart: Alice Feng/AxiosRenting is getting roomier in the Mile High City, as more two- and three-bedroom units hit the market.Why it matters: Developers in Denver and across the country are catering to people who want more space as they postpone house purchases or spend time working from home.By the numbers: Apartments built in the city between 2014 and 2023 grew about 5%, or 43 square feet, when compared to rentals constructed before 2014, a new RentCafe report shows.Overall, apartments built in that time frame averaged about 848 square feet.Zoom out: Denver's apartments are still relatively small compared to those built in other large cities in the Centennial State over the last decade.The average size of apartments is 937 square feet in Aurora and 948 square feet in Colorado Springs.The big picture: Nationwide, newly built apartments got bigger in 2023, measuring an average of 916 square feet, a 27-square-foot rebound from the previous year.Sign up for Axios Denver for free.
Electrify Expo showcases Denver as hot EV market
More than a dozen electric vehicle makers are arriving in Denver this weekend as the city emerges as one of the nation's hottest EV markets.The Electrify Expo picked Denver as one of its eight stops in 2024 — based on vehicle registration numbers and sales data from manufacturers. Other stops include Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle."Denver has been one of those places that's been really kind of bubbling up over the past couple years and showing a pretty big spike in EV registrations and hand-raisers," Electrify Expo founder BJ Birtwell tells us.Why it matters: The event is designed to...
Homelessness drives opinions of Denver's mayor, new poll shows
Data: Colorado Polling Institute; Note: Margin of error is 4.85 points; Chart: John Frank/AxiosHow Denver views its mayor is inextricably linked to the issue of homelessness, a new poll shows, raising the stakes for Mike Johnston's efforts to house more residents.Why it matters: The poll set for release Wednesday offers a look at the mayor's image at his one-year mark and shows that voters want more action on major issues.Driving the news: Johnston's favorability rating among registered voters is 48%, with 38% unfavorable, the survey from the bipartisan Colorado Polling Institute shows.The 10-point margin is a downgrade from the firm's...
Take a peek inside CU Denver's new Outside Lab for gear testing
Inside a classroom at the University of Colorado Denver, two hiking boots spin on a machine and land on a treadmill in constant rotation. Thump, thump, thump.State of play: The Heeluxe Time Machine is testing the boots' durability, simulating a 180-pound person walking 150 miles over a few days.It's part of the new Outside Lab at CU Denver, a state-launched initiative to test products and materials for outdoor gear companies and improve product reviews for consumers.Why it matters: The lab is designed to help outdoor recreation companies in Colorado, particularly smaller ones with fewer resources, develop better products and succeed...
Changes to collective bargaining measure delays proposal
A measure extending collective bargaining rights to thousands of city employees was delayed Monday after changes were made to the proposal's language.The big picture: Denver City Council members amended a measure they're seeking to place on the November ballot that, if approved by voters, would change the city charter to allow most city staff to collectively bargain for wages and other benefits.Why it matters: Approving the measure would give more city staff more ability to negotiate pay, benefits and working conditions.Between the lines: Supporters say allowing workers to form unions benefits low-wage staff while making wages and benefits more equitable...
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