The crew behind Michelin-starred Beckon and its sibling restaurant Major Tom is aiming to plant a new flag on downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall. To make that happen, the group has turned to the city-backed Downtown Denver Development Authority, pitching a fresh restaurant concept as a way to boost evening foot traffic and ground-floor energy in the Pavilions corridor while the city works on a broader downtown revival.
According to the Denver Business Journal, the hospitality team filed earlier this month for financial assistance and other support from the DDDA. The filing names partners, including Craig Lieberman, and targets a November 21 opening for the new space. Denver Business Journal reports that the request is being considered in the context of the DDDA’s ongoing push to activate retail and entertainment sites along 16th Street.
DDDA’s 16th Street agenda
City officials have been trying to reposition the 16th Street Mall since the DDDA acquired the Denver Pavilions late last year, to weave new housing, public plazas, and stronger retail into the two-block corridor. Denverite reported that an Urban Land Institute panel recommended turning existing parking lots into plazas and relying on new residents to help restore steady daytime and evening activity.
How DDDA funding would work…