Overview:
A Denver proposal to allow some nightlife venues to stay open until 4 a.m. has received a tentative thumbs up from city council.
Denver nightlife could soon run two hours later, but not everyone is convinced the city needs it.
On Monday, July 13, the Denver City Council approved a bill extending Denver nightlife hours until 4 a.m., though alcohol sales would still end at 2 a.m. The measure was approved 10-1 and will be put to a final vote on Monday, July 20, according to Councilmember Chris Hinds.
“I’m really grateful for the collaboration that we’ve had from the department to ensure that the intended purpose of the bill is met,” said Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez during the meeting. “The bill is not unnecessarily broad or violating the privacy of vulnerable workers.”
Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, the only council member to dissent at the July 13 meeting, stated that the proposed changes are appropriate for downtown Denver but not for the smaller surrounding neighborhoods she represents.
“I really appreciate this,” Sawyer said. “I understand the impetus behind it, but it is something that is just simply not going to work for my residents.”
Councilmember Hinds acknowledged Councilmember Sawyer’s comment during the meeting, stating that he is “not 100% sure it’s for downtown either.”
In an exclusive interview with Bucket List Community News following the vote, Hinds expressed concerns about the bill, including the expiration of current Good Neighbor Agreements, which are written contracts between businesses and the neighborhoods around them.
“We will have to have a whole new conversation about a good neighbor agreement even though that was already covered years ago,” he said.
Hinds is in support of a one or two-year trial period for the bill.
“So if it turns out to be nothing, it’s no big deal to keep going,” he said. “If it turns out to be a huge thing, it’s no big deal to stop it from continuing to go … I think that makes complete sense.”
Hinds voted in favor of advancing the bill, but he says he has expressed his concerns to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and will continue to discuss the issues with the council before next Monday’s meeting.
What do people think about this proposal?
Last week, as part of our video interview series Bucket List on the Street, we sent a reporter into the city to ask Denverites how they feel about the bill. Their responses were mixed. Michael McAndrews reported that people saw the risks and benefits of the bill.
Some believed that extending opening hours would give people more time to sober up (state law requires bars to stop serving alcohol by 2 a.m.). Other community members were concerned that the bill doesn’t do enough for business owners.
“I think from a business perspective, it could be harmful because they can’t generate revenue during that time,” said Jin, a Louisville resident who has previously lived in Denver. “But for consumers, it might give them a little extra time to hang out.”
Although some supporters of the bill believe it will reduce drunk driving, Lindsey Nicholson of the Colorado chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) claims it will increase DUIs due to a lack of widespread public transportation in Denver during late-night hours. Nicholson asked that the 4 a.m. closure clause be removed from the bill because the city lacks a viable plan to reduce violence or ensure safe public transportation in the early morning hours.
“The idea that somebody is going to sober in two hours is just not a true statement, and science backs that up,” Nicholson said. “We would like to see the city invest in some alternatives around public transportation and getting people safely where they need to go without the use of a car when alcohol or cannabis is involved.”
What else is in the bill and next steps
In addition to the 4 a.m. closure, the bill would simplify a current system of 14 different license types into just three: adult entertainment, limited entertainment and nightclub licenses. It would also introduce stricter security requirements for nightclubs. It is part of a broader effort to overhaul entertainment regulations for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Councilmember Gonzales-Gutierrez voiced concern about whether or not the bill is properly worded to best protect workers in the entertainment industry. Deputy Director in Licensing and Consumer Protection Erica Rogers said her office appreciates the opportunity to “collaborate on language that best protects the safety of patrons and workers alike.”
“Our intention in rulemaking is to ensure that we’re devoting adequate time and allowing for robust discussion around some of the topics in the bill, including video surveillance,” she said.
If approved on Monday, July 20, the changes would go into effect on April 1, 2027. Check out more of our reporting on this issue here.
