February 2026 High Frequency Update: Downtown Denver Sustains Recovery Momentum into Spring

Downtown Denver continued its strong recovery trajectory in February, building on a robust start to 2026 with steady foot traffic, a flattening office vacancy rate, and a growing roster of new businesses energizing the center city.  

In February 2026, downtown pedestrian activity reached 89% of 2019 levels. The highest traffic day of the month was Valentine's Day, which drew over 245,000 visits to downtown. Downtown Denver continues to be the center of activity with its growing appeal as a destination for dining, entertainment and celebration. 

16th Street again demonstrated strong performance, with average daily activity increasing 12% compared to February 2025, representing nearly 600 more visits per day and 18,000 more total visits year-over-year. 

On the office front, vacancy trends are showing signs of stabilization. Downtown's office vacancy rate stood at 28.8% as of Q1 2026 quarter-to-date, with 12.1 million square feet vacant, down from 12.2 million square feet the previous quarter. Continued movement within the market reflects an ongoing right-sizing and a broader flight to quality and value among tenants. 

With 38 announced businesses still in the pipeline, the momentum heading into spring remains strong. Downtown Denver welcomed three new ground-floor businesses in February 2026: 

• G-Que BBQ opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, located next to Coors Field. 

• Convivio Café opened at the Alliance Center off of Wynkoop St. 

• Otra Vez Cantina reopened on 16th Street on March 16th, adding to the corridor's growing activation. 

For complete data analysis, detailed charts, and additional insights, read the full February 2026 High Frequency Update report.  

To make our data more accessible and actionable, the Downtown Denver Partnership recently launched a suite of interactive dashboards on our website, including the High Frequency Dashboard, the Downtown Denver Investment Map, and the 16th Street Data Dashboard. These tools offer a dynamic, real-time view of the data we track, complementing our monthly reports with a more comprehensive and always-current picture of downtown's progress. Explore them at www.downtowndenver.com/market-information.  

Please reach out to Analise Lajeunesse for data-related inquiries, and for media inquiries, please contact Apoorva Gundu.