The Denver City Council on Monday agreed to spend $4 million in an attempt to curb youth violence and support the struggling city center.

A $1.5 million contract with Denver Public Schools was doubled, and $1 million will be spent to hire a planning firm to update an area plan for downtown.

The city has approved spending almost $5 million this year to keep Denver’s kids occupied during the summer months, and away from crime. The city will now spend $3 million on the Denver Youth Employment Program on top of Mayor Mike Johnston’s own YouthWorks effort which, broadly speaking, has the same goals.

The specifics however, are somewhat different.

The Denver Youth Employment Program was introduced by former Mayor Michael Hancock with the goal of teaching kids about the rigors of a working life. There was also an economic reason, Hancock said in a 2020 interview with Denver Public Schools, giving kids from working families the ability to get school supplies and “help their families out.”

The program also came about after the city invested $100,000 – matched by Denver Public Schools – in microgrants specifically targeting keeping kids away from crime, according to Colorado Politics.

In contrast, Mayor Mike Johnston’s program is more targeted. It is seeking to connect 1,000 students with jobs this summer. Students can also stand to earn a $1,000 stipend after completing 100 work hours during their time away from school. The last day of classes for Denver Public Schools was June 5.

This program directly plays into one of Johnston’s overall goals for the city, reducing gun violence by 20% before the end of the year. Youth violence citywide has dropped, according to a March report by The Denver Gazette, but it typically flares up during the summer months.

Councilmembers did not let the specifics of the two programs get in their way, however, and unanimously approved the increase.

“I’m really excited to see us doubling these dollars for the summer youth employment program,” Councilmember Shontel Lewis said. “It’s so desperately needed in our city and I really appreciate us investing our dollars this way and investing in our youth.”

Applications for the 2024 Denver Youth Employment Program have closed, though applications for 2025 will open next spring. Kids who participate are expected to complete job readiness training and financial literacy training before beginning their work. A typical summer with the program gives kids about 120 hours of experience, according to an information page online.

The mayor’s YouthWorks program is ongoing.

As the meeting progressed, councilmembers began asking about a new contract with Sasaski that will see the planning firm develop an update to the antiquated downtown Denver area plan.

The plan has not been updated since 2007 and, according to Councilmember Chris Hinds, is not the same downtown as it was in 2007 or even in 2020.

“I’m glad that we are considering taking a look at downtown,” he said. “There are things that exist and happen downtown that don’t exist anywhere else in the state, like the convention center and the performing arts complex.”

Revitalizing downtown has been another of Johnston’s overarching goals during his first term as mayor. In May, he unveiled a $500 million plan to “fix downtown” by expanding the Downtown Development Authority, a taxing authority largely responsible for raising the money needed to renovate and reopen Union Station.

Johnston previously has said that downtown is in an “existential fight” for its identity and he told development and housing professionals at a real estate conference in March that the next year-and-a-half will be a critical time to renew downtown’s vibrancy.

Businesses are feeling the pinch of a downtown in a so-called “death loop,” especially those along the 16th Street Mall, which is still under major construction, despite a section opening recently.

Lewis was less enthusiastic about the downtown area plan and wanted to see the money invested directly into the struggling businesses.

“What we’re hearing from those along the 16th Street Mall in particular is that they’re losing their businesses while we are planning on how we are going to envision the city,” she said. “When we talk about what our vision for the city looks like, it looks like an investment in our small businesses to make sure they can maintain for the long term.”

Lewis was the only no vote and the measure passed.