The Denver Housing Authority just launched a massive push to turn vacant commercial spaces into homes, filing 479 permits to increase residential density across the city.
This surge targets the empty office towers of downtown and the industrial corridors of Northeast Denver, shifting the city's footprint toward rental housing.
The bulk of the activity is concentrated in the 80202 ZIP code, where the authority filed 452 business licenses to convert commercial buildings into residential rentals. Another 27 licenses were filed in Capitol Hill near Colfax Ave, further densifying one of the city's most populated neighborhoods.
Beyond the downtown core, the authority submitted 10 site plans for mixed-use developments in Northeast Denver. These projects replace former industrial uses with a blend of commercial and residential space, utilizing existing infrastructure to expand the housing stock.
This coordinated effort signals a systematic move to solve the city's affordability crisis by repurposing underused real estate rather than relying solely on new construction.
Residents can find more details on these filings by visiting the Denver city portal at https://framinghamma.portal.opengov.com.