DENVER — The Dive Inn has been making waves on Denver's South Broadway for the past 13 years.
“We’re called the bar with a boat,” said managing partner Jason Tietjen.
It’s been mostly smooth sailing for the nautical-themed dive bar until COVID-19 hit.
Like many businesses, the Dive Inn had to adapt. They moved customers outdoors when being inside came with more of a risk.
"[The City of Denver] allowed us to expand onto the parking lot. And we used to have nine [parking] spaces here, and so we invested quite a bit of money [into transforming the patio space],” said Tietjen.
The outdoor patio quickly became a hit.
“This patio has salvaged our business," he said.
But now that COVID isn't the threat it once was, the City of Denver is requiring change as it moves past its pandemic-era zoning rules, where restaurants and bars had great latitude to do what they needed to keep customers coming in.
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According to city guidelines, Denver’s new, permanent Outdoor Places program “will build from the city’s pre-pandemic patio regulations, respond to lessons learned under the Emergency Program and draw inspiration from best practices research.” That means adding back parking spots, including ADA-compliant spots.
"There were some great lessons learned from these programs and allowing extended patio space, but we also knew that we had to balance this with safety, with parking,” said Ryan Huff, Denver Community Planning and Development Department communications director.
The Dive Inn must now turn its patio back into parking spots.
"It has been a pattern of closing down outdoor patio spaces. The Dive Inn is the latest in this pattern,” said Denver City Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez.
Alvidrez said she’s been working with businesses in District 7, including the Dive Inn, to try and find a solution.
“I think on that far South Broadway, there's not a lot of open space, and so [the patio] has been a huge asset, especially when I think about sales tax revenue in the city being down. We need that extra sales tax revenue that them having double the space to serve their patrons,” the councilwoman said.
- Read the City of Denver's Outdoor Places Private Property Strategy below
Meanwhile, the City of Denver is considering a big change this year: removing parking minimums for new developments. Some areas are already exempt, but this would stretch that status citywide.
The change, however, is still a few months away.
“Those are all potentials, but it really depends on what the final language looks like,” said Huff.
Places like the Dive Inn are hoping to postpone any permanent changes until plans are decided. For now, it's all hands on deck as the dive bar tries to buy enough time to keep its patio open.
"These patios can make or break us in the summertime. Now that we've had it, it's essential," said Tietjen.
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