Board of Realtors endorses Mejia

The Denver Board of Realtors has endorsed James Mejia.

Vote at the end of this blog on your take of the endorsement.

The Denver Board of Realtors has endorsed James Mejia in his bid to be Denver’s next mayor.

“We are pleased that there are a lot of good candidates running for mayor, ” said Barbara Lambert, CEO of the Denver Board of Realtors, which has almost 3,000 members. “Our interview team thought (Mejia’s) responses were very positive. He is a very strong proponent of property rights, and he has a focus on creating strong neighborhoods with good schools. His answers just resonated with the Realtors.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper, speaking at a Realtor Rally in downtown recently, noted that when he first ran for mayor, the Denver Board of Realtors was the first group that endorsed him. There are 10 candidates competing to replace Hickenlooper on the May 3 mail ballots. Earlier, former Mayor Federico Pena had endorsed Mejia; former Mayor Wellington Webb this week endorsed City Councilman Michael Hancock.

Mejia said he is thrilled to be endorsed by the Denver Board of Realtors.

Investments crucial

“For me, this totally gets back to our need to create more jobs and get our economy back in shape,” Mejia said. “You have to invest to grow. As Federico Pena says, you can’t cut your way to prosperity. I believe you invest your way to prosperity. I feel now is the time to invest and grow.”

Areas where he sees potential include:

Along the South Platte River. “It should be an asset, not an obstacle.”
The Overland Park neighborhood.
The stalled redevelopment of the former Gates Co. plant at Broadway near Interstate 25 and Santa Fe Drive.
Under-utilized land near Elitch’s.
Sun Valley, “Denver’s poorest neighborhood.”
RiverNorth area, “where TAXI is located.”

“I think a lot of these areas have the ability to be the next Central Platte Valley,” old rail yards transformed into residential and retail developments by Riverfront and other projects.

24-hour city

When Pena was mayor, one of his goals was to turn Denver into a “24-hour” city. Pena was first elected in 1983 and again in 1987.

‘I don’t think we’re there yet,” Mejia said. “I think we might be an 18-hour or 20-hour city.”

For downtown, he would like to see a grocery store and a school, as well as more destination shopping. “I think the mayor should become more involved in promoting Denver at the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers),” which holds an annual, deal-making conference in Las Vegas.

Downtown needs retail

“There is no question that downtown needs more destination retail,” Mejia said.”The 16th Street Mall is is crying to have more unique and interesting shopping opportunities. And I think the redevelopment at Union Station is going to bring some really great retail opportunities downtown.”

Asked if he thinks that the endorsement by the Denver Board of Realtors could be a a double-edged sword, because some voters may not like Realtors, Mejia said he had no such fears.

“Working with Realtors is a two-way street,” Mejia said. “Everywhere I go, I meet Realtors who are very involved in the community and want to make Denver a better place. They meet and talk to a lot of people. For me, being mayor is all about creating and strengthening neighborhoods. I find that a lot of Realtors share my vision for Denver.”