- RB Daily
- Posts
- 🎀 Denver Vacancy Vibes and Sustainable Goodbyes
🎀 Denver Vacancy Vibes and Sustainable Goodbyes
Kiki Ash
August 01, 2025
Friday, August 1, 2025
⛅ Partly cloudy • High: 79°F • Low: 53°F
Good morning, Denver. Happy Friday! You've made it to August, which means we're in peak "afternoon thunderstorm ruins your patio plans" season. But at least this weekend is packed with everything from brass bands to Banana Ball.
In today's RB Daily:
Downtown office vacancy hits new heights (unlike the buildings themselves)
Your favorite sustainable restaurant says goodbye with a heavy heart
Weekend events that'll make you forget about that 36.8% office vacancy rate
As always feel free to email me at [email protected] with comments.
Kiki ❤️
THE DIGEST
Downtown Office Vacancy Climbs to 36.8% After Xcel's RiNo Romance
Well, it's official: downtown Denver has more available office space than most submarkets. Total office vacancy reached 36.8% at the end of June, up from earlier in the year, driven in part by Xcel Energy moving toward RiNo. The central business district saw about 270,000 additional square feet become available, roughly equivalent to five Whole Foods worth of empty desks.
LoDo and Platte Street remain healthier with about 18.9% vacancy. Cherry Creek is stronger than downtown, sitting closer to 15% vacancy, likely benefiting from its retail and amenities. If you are looking for bargain office space, the Central Business District’s high vacancy gives tenants negotiating leverage. Time to negotiate like it is 2020 again.
Pour one out for your vegetable scraps, Denver. Sullivan Scrap Kitchen at 1740 E. 17th Ave. will serve its last meals on August 2, 2025, citing lasting impacts from the pandemic that have continued to pressure its economics. Chefs Terence Rogers and Holly Adinoff built a reputation for turning food waste into thoughtful dishes, but the financial realities have made the brick and mortar unsustainable.
They are not stepping away from sustainability entirely. Through TBD Foods catering they will continue working in that space and plan to launch a gourmet cannabis edible line this fall. Stop by before August 2 to get one last meal and hear what is next.
After extensive discussion, Denver City Council revised the $950 million Vibrant Denver bond package Monday night. The council reallocated roughly $18 million from housing and shelter to transportation and traffic calming, and increased funding for the American Indian Cultural Embassy by $15 million, bringing its total to $20 million. The bonds are expected to appear on the November ballot in five parts, including about $446 million for transportation, $175 million for parks, and roughly $46 million for housing and shelter. The larger Embassy allocation creates a more substantial cultural presence near DIA.
LOCAL BUSINESS
Cap City Tavern, a downtown mainstay since 2007, is closing this Sunday. The owners cited rising labor costs, food inflation, city taxes, and soft downtown traffic as factors in the decision. Located near the City and County Building, it has long been a gathering spot for city officials and journalists.
They will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday for a final round. The atmosphere may feel reflective, but the beer will still be cold.
In "spending money we wish the city had for housing" news, the Broncos just gave wide receiver Courtland Sutton a four-year, $92 million extension. That's roughly 2,000 affordable housing units, but who's counting? Sutton apparently "reads a room even better than he reads a defense," which in Denver means he knows when to stop talking about Russell Wilson.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
This Weekend: August 1-3
It's Friday, which means you can no longer plan your weekend or frantically text your friends "what are we doing?" at 3 p.m. Maybe you can give them ideas instead.
Friday, August 1
🎸 The Lumineers with Nathaniel Rateliff at Empower Field • 6:00 PM • Empower Field at Mile High
📍 1701 Bryant St, Sun Valley
💰 $75-$350 (mortgage payment not included)
What: Colorado's favorite folk rockers return home with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Expect 50,000 people singing "Ho Hey" in unison while spilling $18 beers. Pro tip: The light rail is your friend tonight.
🎭 First Friday Art Walk • 5:00-9:00 PM • Santa Fe Arts District
📍 Santa Fe Drive between 6th & 11th Ave
💰 Free (gallery wine donations encouraged)
What: Pretend you like contemporary art while enjoying free wine and people watching. The real art is watching people pretend they like the art.
🍺 B-Side Music Fridays at Nocturne • 6:00 PM
📍 1330 27th St, RiNo
💰 $25-35
What: Colorado musicians take over the rooftop for the final B-Side session. 18+ only, so leave the kids with the altitude-challenged relatives.
Saturday, August 2
🏛️ Colorado Day at Center for Colorado Women's History • 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
📍 1020 Ninth St, Capitol Hill
💰 Free (your tax dollars at work!)
What: Celebrate our state's 149th birthday with free admission and activities. Learn why we're not just "that rectangle state with legal weed."
🏃 Cherry Creek Fresh Market • 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
📍 Cherry Creek Shopping Center, 1st & University
💰 Free to browse (your wallet's safety not guaranteed)
What: Stock up on overpriced tomatoes and artisanal everything. The people watching is free and the dogs are plentiful.
🎺 City Park Jazz Finale: Brass Band Extravaganza • 4:30-8:30 PM
📍 City Park Pavilion, 17th & City Park Esplanade
💰 Free
What: The beloved summer series ends with Colorado Youth Bands, Rowdy Brass Band, and more. Bring a blanket, some Trader Joe's cheese, and prepare for peak Denver summer vibes.
⚽ Colorado Rapids vs Club Tijuana • 7:30 PM
📍 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City
💰 $25-85
What: Watch soccer while pretending you understand offsides. The stadium beer is slightly cheaper than Empower Field, so there's that.
Sunday, August 3
🧘 Yoga on the Rocks • 7:00 AM • Red Rocks Amphitheatre
📍 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
💰 $25
What: Nothing says "I live in Denver" like doing downward dog at 6,450 feet while tourists wheeze behind you. Gates open at 6 AM because wellness waits for no one.
🌮 Highland Square Farmers Market • 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
📍 32nd Avenue between Julian & Mead, Highland
💰 Free admission
What: Smaller than Cherry Creek's market but with 100% more neighborhood charm and 50% less pretension.
Recurring Weekend Favorites 🔄
The reliable classics:
Union Station Farmers Market: Saturdays, 9 AM-1 PM - The bougie-est vegetables in Denver, now with live music
Denver Beer Co. Brewery Tours: Saturdays at 3 PM - Free tours, paid samples, questionable decisions
Denver Botanic Gardens: Daily 9 AM-5 PM - Nature, but organized and with labels
Plan Ahead 📅
Next weekend (August 9-11) highlights:
Savannah Bananas at Coors Field - Baseball meets circus meets fever dream on Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, 2025
GHOST at Ball Arena - is at Ball Arena on Thursday, August 7, 2025, and it is explicitly a phone-free experience with Yondr pouches.
Free Stuff This Weekend 🆓
Because rent is due:
City Park Jazz Finale: Sunday, August 3 4:30 PM - Last chance for free jazz this summer
First Friday Art Walk: Friday, August 1 5-9 PM - Free art, free wine, free judgment of said art
Colorado Day Celebration: Multiple free events for Colorado Day around Aug 1–2, including at the Center for Colorado Women’s History.
EXTRA SPRINKLES
Denver Public Schools starts August 18 for K-12, August 19 for preschool. Time to stock up on tissues (for parents) and hand sanitizer (for everyone).
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic cried over his horse winning a race in Serbia. Still showed more emotion than during the 2023 Finals.
RTD's downtown rail work continues at 15th and California. Add 20 minutes to your commute and practice your patience meditation.
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
🌡️ This weekend's forecast: 88°/62° with afternoon storms (weather.gov)
🏔️ Snow at Loveland: 0 inches (it's August, people)
🍺 Weekend events happening: 47+
🚲 Days until Colorado Startup Week: 46
🏢 Downtown office vacancy rate: 36.8% (plenty of room for activities!)