Page 51 - Denver, CO Adaptive Reuse Program

A fire safety inspection can be scheduled by phone or email. A
Fire Department inspector will check fire exits, emergency light-
ing, exit signs, fire-resistant separation, roadway access and fire
lanes, and fire safety systems. They also will review the evacuation
plan for the property. Any violations of the fire code will be noted
to property owners and, if the issue cannot be corrected at that
time on site, the Fire Department inspector will issue a notice
requesting the condition be corrected as soon as possible. A re-in-
spection will be scheduled to confirm the issue has been resolved.
An additional fee will be charged for each re-inspection. Initial
fees and any re-inspection fees can be paid online.

xii. Recommendations for Facilitating FD Review
Consider the following changes to the Fire Department’s existing
processes for adaptive reuse projects.
• Incorporate FD review procedures on an adaptive reuse
webpage.
• Clearly identify the timeline for each step of FD review in
order to allow applicants to more carefully plan their project.
• Create an adaptive reuse section on the existing Permits &
Licensing page on the Fire Department webpage.

Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) –
Neighborhood Equity and Stabilitzation (NEST) Program
While DEDO does not participate in any formal permitting
review for adaptive reuse, the facilitation provided by DEDO, and
specifically the NEST program, is related to facilitation that is
needed to assist applicants in developing successful adaptive reuse
projects. The Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization (NEST)
program, administered by the Denver Economic Development
& Opportunity (DEDO) department was created to preserve the
culture and character of neighborhoods in Denver experiencing
significant change. One of the target neighborhoods for the NEST
program is East Colfax because of its rapid change. Among many
tasks, the NEST program assists small business owners in connect-
ing with the appropriate City agencies including DOTI, the De-
partment of Finance, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods.
While NEST staff does not serve in the role as an adaptive reuse
coordinator, their work provides crucial assistance to adaptive
reuse applicants.

xiii. Recommendations for Facilitation through NEST
• Consider adding “Community Planning and Development”
to the City Agencies list on the NEST webpage, as this is a
crucial department for adaptive reuse projects.
• Add an “Adaptive Reuse” section under “More Information”
on the NEST webpage that includes a link to an adaptive
reuse webpage and to the User’s Handbook. While detailed

Adaptive Reuse Strategy Paper 47