The Denver City Council will consider allocating $1.15 million in federal funding to help pay for the delayed renovation project of the 16th Street Mall during its first meeting of 2024 on Tuesday.

The Downtown Denver Partnership wants to utilize American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward the revitalization of Denver’s beleaguered 16th Street Mall.

Construction work for the 16th Street Mall was supposed to finish in 2024, but the discovery of old underground pipes delayed it until 2025. That also increased the cost of the project from $149 million to $172.5 million.

The 1.2 mile long outdoor mall serves as an anchor in downtown Denver for tourism, restaurants, small businesses and some night life. While the facelift is much needed, the construction work from Market Street to Broadway — with some portions already complete — has taken away restaurant patios, narrowed walkways next to heavy-equipment work and disrupted the flow of the RTD free shuttles that used to move some 3.6 million people every year.

Businesses that are so far surviving the renovation said they fear the one-year delay would further hurt them, and some worry they won’t make it.

Councilmembers postponed consideration of the 16th Street Mall project funding during their last meeting of 2023.

Additionally, the City Council will consider multiple contracts to help with Denver respond to the influx of immigrants, who arrived in the city after illegally crossing the border with Mexico.

Here are items the council is expected to tackle:

Contracts and Resolutions

• A purchase order contract with Snap Colorado to increase funding by $1 million for a new total of $1.4 million to purchase meals for guests in immigrant shelters.

• A grant agreement with the National Board for the Emergency Food and Shelter program to add $717,512 for a new total of $1,627,165.22 to provide services to individuals and families arriving from the southern border.

• A $13,381,962 contract with Castle Rock Construction Company of Colorado to construct Phase 2 of the Pikes Peak Parking Restoration project. The contract lasts for 150 calendar days to complete the phase.

• A $1.1 million master purchase order with ComPsych Employee Assistance Programs to offer employee assistance to all city employees until the end of 2028.

• A $3 million contract with escrow funding agreement with H.C. Peck & Associates to perform escrow services for the Washington Street Corridor project. The contract lasts until the end of 2027.

• A contract with Mental Health Center of Denver (WellPower) to provide clinicians for the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program. The contract adds $9,35,986 for a new total of $3,213,553 and a new end date of Dec. 31, 2024.