A resolution approving a proposed Agreement between the City and County of…
Denver approves a $19. 7M contract with Mark Young Construction to build Fire Station 40 at Telluride St & 56th Ave in Council District 11.
Status and record
Your position
Should this become law?
Verified positions form a citizen mandate: a public tally Civitus compares against the official roll call.
Civitus citizens
Take a position above to see how verified Civitus citizens are weighing in. Positions stay sealed until you have one of your own.
The Civitus brief
AI analysis
Plain English
Denver approves a $19.7M contract with Mark Young Construction to build Fire Station 40 at Telluride St & 56th Ave in Council District 11.
Why it matters
The Denver City Council is considering a resolution to approve a nearly $19.7 million construction contract with Mark Young Construction, LLC to build a new Fire Station 40 in northeast Denver. The project is located at the northwest corner of Telluride Street and 56th Avenue in Council District 11. Construction is expected to be completed within 507 days of a notice to proceed.
Who it affects
- Northeast Denver residents
- Denver Fire Department
- Council District 11 businesses
- Mark Young Construction LLC
- Construction subcontractors
- Denver Office of Transportation
- Infrastructure
The case for and against
The case for
- 1Improves emergency response times for residents and businesses in northeast Denver, a growing area that has needed expanded fire coverage for years.
- 2Creates local construction jobs and economic activity through the $19.7 million contract and associated subcontracting work.
- 3Invests in durable public safety infrastructure that will serve the community for decades, supporting long-term city resilience.
The case against
- 1The nearly $19.7 million price tag is a substantial public expenditure, and critics may question whether the contract was competitively bid and represents the best value for taxpayers.
- 2A 507-day construction timeline means residents in the area will continue to rely on existing, potentially overburdened stations for over a year before the new facility is operational.
- 3Details on the funding source are not publicly specified in the resolution, making it difficult for constituents to assess the broader fiscal impact on the city budget or debt obligations.
Generated from primary and reputable sources for orientation. These are not endorsements.
What happens next
Current
Introduced
Next
Committee consideration
Most bills wait here. A committee can hold hearings, amend, or never take it up.
View full legislative path
- IntroducedStatus: Introduced
- CommitteeNo committee action text on record yet.
- FloorNo floor action text on record yet.
- VoteNo vote date on record yet.
- LawNot enacted on record yet.
Civitus mandate path
- PositionWaiting
- Verified tally0 of 10 verified
- MandateNot yet
- Government notifiedNot yet
- Official voteWaiting
- RecordWaiting
Citizens vs Government
Civitus citizens
Sealed
Take a counted position to open the tally.
Congress
No vote yet
Not yet scheduled for a floor vote
Sign in and verify your address to see how your representative voted next to the citizen tally.
Civitus participants are verified users, eligible in this jurisdiction, who chose to weigh in on this record. Not a poll of any district or of the country.
Take action
Public discussion
Add a tag
Opinion on this bill, separate from your position above. Similar opinions on this bill can open a solution poll.
3 similar opinions open a solution poll
Loading opinions
Deeper context
Long-form analysis, legal background, and source material
Read analysisAnalysis · Historical context · Long read
DEEP ANALYSIS
This resolution authorizes the City and County of Denver to enter into a formal construction contract with Mark Young Construction, LLC in the amount of $19,678,275 to build Denver Fire Station 40. The station will be located at the northwest corner of Telluride Street and 56th Avenue, within Council District 11, a predominantly residential and industrial area in northeast Denver that has seen significant growth and development in recent years.
The contract includes a completion timeline of 507 days from the issuance of a Notice to Proceed (NTP), which is a standard construction milestone marker indicating the formal start of work. This timeline suggests an estimated construction period of approximately 17 months, consistent with mid-scale municipal fire station projects of this type.
Fiscally, the contract represents a significant capital expenditure for the City of Denver. Fire station construction costs in major U.S. cities have risen considerably due to inflation in materials and labor, and this contract price reflects that trend. The funding source is not specified in the resolution text but is likely drawn from Denver's capital improvement budget or bond funds previously authorized by voters.
The project addresses a recognized need for expanded fire and emergency response infrastructure in northeast Denver, an area that has grown substantially with new residential developments, commercial expansion near Denver International Airport, and increased population density. Adding a new fire station improves response times and reduces the burden on existing stations, which is a core public safety function of municipal government.
Key stakeholders include residents and businesses in Council District 11 who will benefit from improved emergency response, Denver Fire Department personnel who will staff the new facility, and the construction firm and its subcontractors who will perform the work. The Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is the sponsoring city agency overseeing the contract.
Two lenses on the same bill. Explain is AI analysis of the civic record. Fiscal covers budget and markets. Neither tells you how to vote.
Informs. Never directs. The vote belongs to you.
AI analysisCivic explanation, not a government record
A city's first obligation is protecting the lives of its residents, and Denver is spending $19,678,275 to fulfill that obligation in a district that has outgrown its current fire coverage. Aristotle's principle of distributive justice holds that public resources should be allocated proportionally to need, and a growing population center without adequate emergency services is a textbook imbalance. The 507-day construction clock starts only when the Notice to Proceed is issued, meaning the gap in coverage continues until at least late 2026.
THE CIVITUS BRIEF, IN FULL
Denver's City Council is reviewing a resolution to approve a $19,678,275 contract with Mark Young Construction, LLC to build Fire Station 40 at the northwest corner of Telluride Street and 56th Avenue in northeast Denver. The contract is sponsored by the Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure and carries a construction timeline of 507 days from a Notice to Proceed. The Council's committee approved moving the item forward on June 24, 2025, with a full Council vote deadline of July 28, 2025.
Supporters of the project point to sustained population growth in northeast Denver, particularly near Denver International Airport and along the Interstate 70 corridor, as justification for new fire infrastructure. Denver Fire Department officials and Council District 11 representatives have argued that existing stations are stretched thin and that adding a new facility will meaningfully improve emergency response times for thousands of residents and businesses in the area.
Critical voices, while not widely publicized in available documents, generally center on the cost and process. Some fiscal watchdog perspectives question whether the contract price reflects competitive market conditions and whether voters had direct input into this specific capital commitment. The absence of a clearly stated funding source in the resolution text has also drawn scrutiny from transparency advocates who want clearer accounting of how the city is financing major construction projects.
For ordinary Denver residents in northeast neighborhoods, the practical impact of this legislation is the eventual arrival of a fully staffed fire station closer to their homes and workplaces. Until construction is complete, likely sometime in late 2026 or early 2027 depending on when the Notice to Proceed is issued, response times in the area remain unchanged. Once operational, the station is expected to reduce average emergency response times and provide a long-term anchor for public safety in one of Denver's fastest-growing corridors.
Sources
Analysis draws from: Aristotle, Politics, National Fire Protection Association, NFPA 1710 Standard, Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
A citizen mandate is a Civitus tally of verified users. It does not legally bind any official; its power is the public record.