+News from Denver CPD that may impact building and development projects

Development news from Community Planning and Development (CPD)

In this issue:

Big news for the future of Burnham Yard
New applications available soon in Accela
Reminder: Many records available free online
New checklists for 2025 Denver Energy Code
Take the follow-up survey from Denver Resilient Landscapes

Burnham Yard announced as preferred site for new Broncos stadium

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston last week joined the Denver Broncos and the State of Colorado in announcing historic Burnham Yard, an abandoned railyard in Central Denver, as the preferred site for a new, privately-funded world-class stadium.

The partnership allows the city to finally unlock the Burnham Yard land, connect it to surrounding neighborhoods, and generate billions of dollars in new economic opportunity. The stadium development project represents a privately-funded several billion-dollar investment, including environmental cleanup of the polluted land, which was used as a railyard for more than 150 years.

As part of this process, the City and County of Denver will work with residents in the surrounding community to create a Small Area Plan for Burnham Yard. Building a dynamic and inclusive neighborhood in Burnham Yard will ensure the economic and community benefits extend far beyond gameday with better connectivity and increased opportunity in Central Denver.

The Small Area Plan can include recommendations for housing, including affordable housing, public infrastructure, parks, open spaces, childcare, grocery stores, and other amenities. The Denver Broncos have also committed to a separate Community Benefits Agreement. Residents can sign up for updates on community meetings and learn more about the process at DenverGov.org/burnhamyard.

Read the press release

Coming to E-permits this month: Rezoning and Landmark applications

In the coming weeks, projects that need to submit rezoning and certain Landmark preservation applications will be able to submit these materials through Denver's online permitting system, E-permits. These enhancements will streamline the entitlement process for development and preservation projects.

Landmark Preservation: Starting Thursday, September 25, Landmark design review applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness, applications for Landmark demolition review, and Certificate of Demolition Eligibility applications must be submitted through E-permits. Visit DenverGov.org/landmark for information on all landmark processes, including submittal instructions, which will be updated to align with new processes.

Rezoning: Starting Wednesday, October 1, pre-applications (the first step in the rezoning process) and formal applications must be submitted through E-permits. Complete instructions will be available on the Rezoning Process page.

If you are not familiar with E-permits, click the button below for an overview and resources.

Welcome to E-permits

Doing research? Most building, zoning and development records are online

If you are doing due diligence research on a property, you don't need to submit a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request for building or zoning records.

Community Planning and Development is the official custodian for city records related to planning, zoning, building, site development and inspections. But many of those records are available for direct access online on the CPD website or through the E-permits portal. Take a look at the links below for information on where to find and download different types of records in minutes and at no cost.

Adopted plans, general development plans, assessments and studies are available on the Completed Plans Map
Approved site development plans and the locations of SDPs in progress are available on the SDP Map
Building and zoning permits, submitted concept plans and more are available on E-permits

To search for records on E-permits, register for an account and sign in. Go to the "Development Services" tab, search building permit records either by date, record type, address, or specific record number. From any record that has an issued permit, use the "Attachments" feature under "Record Info" to download a copy of the permit. Visit DenverGov.org/epermits for tutorials and more information.

Share your thoughts on key landscape topics in follow-up online survey

Nearly 500 community members took part in the first Denver Resilient Landscape survey to share their ideas and vision for the future of Denver's landscapes. Now it's time to share your thoughts on more specific topics. Take the follow up survey and weigh in on trees, ways to reduce turf grass, water use and rain capture, use of healthy landscaping materials and design.

Take the survey

Updated checklists for 2025 and 2022 Denver Energy Code now available

Updated checklists to support Denver Energy Code compliance are available at DenverGov.org/EnergyCode. Because the 2025 Denver Energy Code is similar to the 2022 Denver Energy Code, the commercial and residential energy checklists were recently updated to cover both code versions. The Energy Code checklists are continuously maintained. Be sure to download and use the latest version for your project.

Commercial Checklist Updates: One checklist for prescriptive path projects and a separate checklist for performance path projects cover both versions of the Denver Energy Code.

Residential Checklist Updates: One checklist now contains all compliance pathways and project types for both versions of the Denver Energy Code. By entering in the project scope, the checklist provides customized requirements.

For more information about the 2025 Denver Energy Code updates and to view summaries of the most impactful amendments, visit DenverGov.org/EnergyCode.

Questions? Email energy.review@denvergov.org

ICYMI:

Recaps from our last newsletter

Get caught up on last month's news >>

Don't forget to review transition rules and application expiration policy for the 2025 Building and Fire Codes. The 2025 codes go into effect December 31, 2025. However, construction drawings for projects submitted for permits on or before the effective date may use either the 2025 or 2022 codes. Projects submitted after this date (which will receive a “2026” LOG number) must be designed to the 2025 codes. There will be no exceptions or extensions, so please plan accordingly. Download the Code Transition Rules and Application Policy

City Council voted to approve the Modernizing Parking Requirements text amendment earlier this year, and the new rules took effect August 11, 2025. This means that new buildings and changes to existing buildings no longer have to include a minimum number of car parking spaces. The old rules have been removed from Denver’s zoning codes. Visit the project website for details

Denver’s Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD) complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or gender to include language. It is your right to request oral or written language assistance services in your primary language, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations, if needed. Please fill out our language services request form, and these services will be provided free of charge. If you have any questions, contact CPD’s Operations Team at cpdoperations@denvergov.org.

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