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Colorado - Tue. 04/22/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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METRO DENVER A LEADER NATIONALLY FOR HOW FAST UNSOLD HOMES ARE PILING UP
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Denver, long known for having a tight supply of homes available for sale, is now a leader among metro areas nationwide for how quickly it is building a backlog of unsold inventory. The number of homes for sale nationally jumped 28.5 percent in March compared to the same month a year ago, according to a report from Realtor.com. All of the 50 largest metro areas experienced an increase over the past year, with new listings outpacing sales. San Jose, Las Vegas and Denver all clocked increases of just over 67 percent or 2.4 times faster than the nationwide average increase. Denver technically had the third largest increase, but the difference amounts to a rounding error — 67.3 percent vs. 67.9 percent in San Jose. Nationwide, the inventory of unsold homes is about a fifth lower than it was between 2017 to 2019, with northeastern markets a third below.
- Metro Denver’s inventory of homes for sale was at 9,764 in March, which remains below the four-decade average for the month of 13,188.
- The record high was 27,309 in March 2006, with the record low of 1,921 for March set four years ago.
- Inventories are increasing faster for condos and townhomes, also known as attached housing. There were 3,567 listings for attached homes at the end of March, compared to 1,905 a year earlier, an increase of 87.2 percent.
- For detached homes, the increase was 57.1 percent, from 3,944 to 6,197.
- A year ago, condos and townhomes represented 32.5 percent of the inventory available to buyers.
- Last month, it was 36.5 percent. But despite the added supply and lower prices, buyers aren’t jumping.
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COLORADO GOVERNOR ORDERS FLAGS TO HALF-STAFF IN TRIBUTE TO POPE FRANCIS
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Gov. Jared Polis has ordered flags be flown at half-staff to honor the late Pope Francis, as ordered by President Donald Trump. The Pope died of a stroke resulting in heart failure Monday morning. He was 88. "It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Pope Francis today," said Polis. "Pope Francis was a pillar of compassion and a champion in creating a more inclusive and welcoming gospel. Pope Francis has spoken up for the protection of our environment, our planet, and used his voice to speak in support of the basic humanity of LGBTQ people. It is my hope that Pope Francis’s legacy will continue to help the Catholic Church lead in a healing and loving manner around the world, with new members and leaders of the Catholic Church continuing his work leading the way with love and kindness."
The Pope made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, having met with American Vice President JD Vance earlier that day. Flags will be flown at half-staff around the country until the Pope's internment.
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HISTORIC DENVER SCHOOL REOPENS AS A CAFE & BEER GARDEN
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A stately brick building that once served as a Denver elementary school, sat vacant for decades, and most recently housed artist studios, reopens today as a cafe and beer garden. Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Cafe, 1115 Acoma St., occupies the grounds, hallways and cafeteria of what was once the Evans School. Built in 1904, the school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. City Street Investors, one of the redevelopers of Union Station, and partners Fred and Jerry Glick closed on the $11 million building in 2019. The cafe next to the main entrance wraps around most of the sun-exposed room, beginning with a display case for panini sandwiches, salads and other grab-and-go items. Customers can order coffee and, later in the day, wine and frozen rose slushies, espresso martinis and cocktails. There’s also an ice cream counter.
The beer garden across the hall is modeled after other City Street Investors properties across the city: Lowry Beer Garden, Edgewater Beer Garden and Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden. There are 18 beers on tap, mostly Colorado brews; pub fare like brats, burgers and fries; and salads and poke. They are remodeling classrooms for retailers and the second-floor auditorium for private events. They’ll lease the upstairs floor as office space.
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HIGH LINE CANAL TRAIL ACCESS PATH TO REOPEN AFTER FIVE-MONTH CLOSURE
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By next month, Littleton will reopen a popular pedestrian path connecting a park to the heavily used High Line Canal Trail, ending a nearly five-month closure during a dispute between the city and a property owner over who it belongs to. After the disagreement bubbled up Thanksgiving week, resulting in the abrupt closure of the 400-foot-long connector trail by the purported property owner, Littleton officials hired a surveyor who determined that the trail actually lies on city land. Littleton officials said they hope to have the connector path reopened by May 1.
The path, at the intersection of South Prince Street and West Jackass Hill Road, did not actually lie on private property. The path provides an easy connection between Jackass Hill Park and the canal trail for hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians a day. Without that trail segment, High Line users in that part of Littleton have faced a one-mile detour on surface streets to reach the 71-mile-long canal, which runs from south of Chatfield Reservoir in Douglas County to a spot a few miles south of Denver International Airport in Aurora.
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VETERANS IN COLORADO
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Despite hosting six military bases, Colorado sits in the middle of the pack when it comes to the share of its population who are veterans. Around 332,000 veterans live in Colorado, or about 7.2 percent of its 4.6 million residents who are 18 or older, the 2023 American Community Survey shows. This puts Colorado 22nd in veteran share of the adult population. The state with the highest veteran density is Alaska, with 56,000 veterans, or 10.5 percent of its adult population of 536,000. Texas has the largest veteran population, at almost 1.4 million — about 6.1 percent of its 23 million adult residents. A veterans service office is available in every Colorado county. In 2024, 73 percent of the state voted to approve a property tax break for veterans unemployable due to disability. In March, the federal Dept. of Veteran Affairs was preparing to lay off 83,000 employees. Some layoffs have already impacted probationary workers at Colorado offices.
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ENERGY NONPROFIT TO HOST ELECTRIC VEHICLE DEMOS AT BASALT EARTH DAY EVENT
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At the Basalt Earth Day event today, Tuesday, April 22, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, or CLEER, will be hosting an informative session and demonstration for electric vehicles. CLEER, a local nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the clean energy transition in the region, will have a tent at the upcoming event in River Park from 2 to 6 p.m. They will be providing information on electric vehicles and offering the opportunity to do an EV test drive. After the regularly scheduled Basalt Earth Day event, CLEER will be hosting an additional free EV presentation from 6 to 7 p.m., where attendees can learn about potential cost savings of EVs. Food will be provided at the presentation. For more information on CLEER, visit cleanenergyeconomy.net.
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COLORADO ORGS INCREASING EQUITY AND ACCESS IN THE OUTDOORS CAN NOW APPLY FOR FUNDING
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In its fourth year, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant program is infusing funding into programs and organizations that are growing equity and accessibility in the outdoor industry. Colorado’s Outdoor Equity Grant program was created by the legislature in 2021 as a way to open more doors for communities that have traditionally been excluded from conservation careers and the outdoors. The grant program will offer up to $100,000 per project to organizations that are meeting this goal. Interested organizations have until June 2 to submit a grant interest form. By Aug. 5, the state will select certain organizations to submit applications by Sept. 30. The awardees will be announced in mid-December.
Since the program’s inception, the state has invested over $8.5 million in 141 awards to 111 organizations, representing 51 Colorado counties. The funding has supported programming to support adaptive skiing opportunities, expand recreation to youth who are visually impaired, open up professional development opportunities for kids in the outdoors and conservation industries, and more. Last year, Parks and Wildlife awarded over $3 million in outdoor equity grants to 36 organizations across the state. Around half of the recipients were based on the Western Slope. To learn more, visit cpw.state.co.us/outdoor-equity-grant-program.
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HONEYBEE FESTIVAL MOVES FROM PALISADE TO CROSS ORCHARDS HISTORIC SITE
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The recently announced flight of the International Honeybee Festival from its location in downtown Palisade to Cross Orchards Historic Site next year isn’t expected to have a big impact on the town. Town Administrator Janet Hawkinson said she wished the Honeybee Festival well in its new location. It brought in around 5,000 people to the town this year, she said. However, she said this opens that spring weekend up for another event to come in. “It actually opens up for people to apply to bring an event to Palisade,” Hawkinson said. “Then the Board of Trustees can review and select someone to fill that spot. So, I think a different event would come and fill that gap.” Hawkinson said a spring themed event had been talked about or a barbecue competition. She said the Trustees would review proposals and select one that fits with the town. “It’s open if you want to submit a proposal,” Hawkinson said.
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MONTROSE WOMEN'S CLUB: FLEA MARKET FOR A CAUSE
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Art, photography, antiques, collectables and locally made crafts are just a few things patrons will find at the Montrose Women’s Club’s annual Flea Market and Bazaar on Friday and Saturday, April 25-26 at Friendship Hall. The event raises money for local beneficiaries. “We’re a great group of ladies that have kind hearts and giving spirits,” said Flea Market Chair Lorraine Shide, the club’s former president. The club started in 1949, and meets once a month to enjoy refreshments, listen to community speakers and address business like planning the fundraisers and beneficiaries. It’s always accepting new members, and Shide encouraged interested ladies to reach out. The club hosts a “Harvest and Holiday” show in the fall in addition to the spring flea market, and after each holds a special meeting to present monetary awards to local organizations. “We try to spread it around,” Shide said of the recipients.
Past recipients include Haven House, Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club and PEER Kindness. Over 100 vendors from around the region and state have signed up for this weekend’s Flea Market and Bazaar, which Shide said will include a little bit of everything. Some small bakers will set up tables inside, while food will also be available for purchase from DK’s Snack Shack and Blue Ribbon Bar B Que trucks outside. Admission is free. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. New vendors can still reach out to the club to see if last-minute spots are available. For more information, e-mail montrosewomensclub@gmail.com.
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EAGLE COUNTY'S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HOST PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK ON APRIL 26
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Law enforcement agencies across Eagle County will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26. Local personnel will be on-site and will host collection sites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:
- Vail Police Dept.: Vail Municipal Building
- Avon Police Dept.: Walmart
- Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Eagle Police Dept.: City Market Eagle
- Carbondale Police Dept.: Carbondale Town Hall
This is an opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinets of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Eagle County Household Hazardous Waste offers a collection program for Eagle County residents that accepts sharps and needles for a $10 disposal fee. For more information, call 970-328-3463. To find a collection site near you, visit DEATakeBack.com.
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MILE HIGH BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE TO HOST COMMUNITY EDUCATION NIGHT
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On May 1, Mile High Behavioral Healthcare will be hosting a community education night at the Frisco Senior Center. The night is designed to spread awareness of what Mile High Behavioral Healthcare is doing in the community and engage in meaningful conversations around harm reduction. The event will start at 6 p.m. with Thai food and interactive activities. From 7 to 8 p.m., the focus will turn to a presentation that highlights the services Mile High Behavioral Healthcare provides. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. For more information, visit MileHighBehavioralHealthcare.com.
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FRISCO MAKES PARKLETS AVAILABLE TO MAIN STREET BUSINESSES FOR SUMMER 2025
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The Town of Frisco is once again making parklets available to businesses on Main Street and on the adjacent avenues from June 10 through Oct. 21. Businesses located on Main Street and the adjacent avenues may apply to have parklets, which is a platform that covers parking spaces to expand business operations, placed in front of their businesses. There are more than 30 parklets available, and they will be assigned by Frisco on a “first apply, first approved” basis.
Changes include an increase in parklet fees from $300 to $500 to cover some of the expenses, including labor, maintenance, and improvement of parklets. Bistro string lighting is available at an additional cost of $75 per parklet. The Frisco Sanitation District will also be implementing a $40 sanitation fee per parklet. Businesses will have until May 19 to fill out the parklet request form located under the news section on FriscoGov.com. For more information or questions, contact Jessica Dastous at JessicaD@townoffrisco.com.
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THE TEN BEST RECREATIONAL TRAILS IN THE U.S.
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Recreational trails have popped up across the country, providing people with new ways to explore the great outdoors and get some exercise. These 10 trails — nominated by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best in the U.S. — offer more than just a walk in the park, allowing users to bike, walk, and run (and sometimes even skate and explore by horseback), all while enjoying nature's grandeur:
- Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
- Withlacoochee State Trail, Inverness, Florida
- Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, Spokane Valley, Washington
- Katy Trail, Missouri
- Chessie Trail, Lexington, Virginia
- Capital City State Trail, Madison, Wisconsin
- South Platte River Trail, Julesburg, Colorado
- Ke Ala Hele Makalae, Kauai, Hawaii
- Silver Comet Trail, Georgia
- Great Allegheny Passage, Maryland and Pennsylvania
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MARKET UPDATE - 04/21/2025 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 04/17/2025)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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