Passion for Place, Purpose for People | 2025 Annual Meeting Recap

Last week, we were grateful to be joined by more than 400 downtown champions for our Annual Meeting, where we celebrated 70 years of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s impact and explored how cities across the nation are reimagining their urban cores. 

Passion for Place, Purpose for People 

In a dynamic national exchange, our Annual Meeting brought together downtown leaders from the International Downtown Association and our counterpart organizations in Detroit, Seattle and Austin to share hard-won lessons and bold strategies. The conversations were honest, data-driven and deeply relevant to Denver's current moment. 

• Detroit taught us about the power of narrative in downtown revitalization. Eric Larson, President & CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, reminded us that narrative matters. Detroit's transformation demonstrates the power of relentless momentum and strategic private-sector partnership, even when perceptions lag behind reality.  

• Seattle showed us downtowns can be more than Central Business Districts.  Jon Scholes, President & CEO of Downtown Seattle Association, emphasized the importance of place management organizations as the curator of delightful experiences for their downtown users. Through bold moves, including their iconic waterfront redevelopment and adding over 100,000 new residents to the center city, Seattle has seen that when investment in downtown is done right, the impact is tenfold.  

• Austin reminded us that culture is economic infrastructure. Davon Barbour, President and CEO of Downtown Austin Alliance, showed us how culture and character can be economic development tools. Their approach to construction mitigation and creative placemaking while scaling rapidly. Authenticity attracts investment.  

• David Downey's perspective tied it together. Downey, International Downtown Assocation, framed these conversations within the broader national context, emphasizing that strong downtown cores drive regional prosperity and require true multi-sector partnership. His emphasis on Denver's unique density of partnerships and investment momentum reminded us that we're not starting from scratch.  

Here in Denver, 70 years of public-private partnership gives us the infrastructure that has proven time and time again that we have been here before and greatness has emerged. Together, we have achieved significant milestones this year alone, including reopening 16^th Street, renewing and expanding the Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA), and the near-adoption of the new Downtown Area Plan, we are heading into the next chapter for Downtown Denver.  

Support the work of the Downtown Denver Partnership through three simple ways:  

1. Choose Downtown Denver | We want to see you downtown. Bring your families and friends to downtown. Show them firsthand that downtown is beautiful, safe and delightful. When someone asks you about downtown, be the voice that shifts the narrative.   

2. Engage with the Downtown Area Plan | We’ll be calling on you to support the Downtown Area Plan as it goes through its adoption process with Denver City Council. This is our opportunity to shape downtown's future for the next five, 10 and 20 years. 

3. Continue to Be a Downtown Champion | Schedule meetings downtown. Take clients to our restaurants and venues. Encourage employees to come in. Whether you're an employer considering return-to-office strategies, a developer eyeing new projects, or simply someone who believes in our downtown – your voice and presence matter.  

A special thank you to our Annual Meeting Title Sponsors Southwest Airlines and DaVita for their leadership and commitment to Downtown Denver.   

Here's to the next chapter of Downtown Denver – built together!