CREJ

SEPTEMBER 2017 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

Considering Community

In July, Denver City Council approved the Safe Oc-

cupancy Program, which offers legal occupancy and

flexible timelines so costs can be carefully managed

while a building is brought up to code. The first step

in this program is a scheduled safety inspection by

city code officials, but we would not require the owner

to correct violations right away unless there is a serious

life-safety concern. The owner would hire an architect

or other licensed professional and work with us to de-

velop a plan for making sure their space is up to code.

The program is unique in that it allows people to con-

tinue living and working in their space. To our knowledge,

Denver is the first city in the country with a law allowing

legal occupancy while a building is being brought up to

code voluntarily.

The Safe Occupancy Program is open to most existing,

unpermitted buildings – not just creative spaces – through

January 2020.

It’s not the only answer to our affordability crisis, but it’s

one of many steps the city is taking to make spaces safer

and more accessible for all people in our community.

Fire and building codes are something most of us take

for granted. We assume that the houses, apartments, work-

places, entertainment venues and shops that we frequent

are safe. Those in real estate may mainly associate safety

codes with more bureaucratic red tape. But the work of

Denver’s plan reviewers and inspectors is critical to the

safety of every resident, worker or visitor to our city.

Safety codes protect people. Relaxing our codes and

looking the other way isn’t the answer.

Everyone deserves to live and work in buildings that are

safe. Safety can’t be compromised. But we believe it can be

achieved in creative ways, and our team is committed to

helping tenants and owners understand their options and

find solutions.

Find out more about the Safe Occupancy Program at

We want Denver’s art and

DIY spaces to thrive. The

River North Art District,

which was born from

the creative community,

should be able to retain

its creative community.