New sidewalk inspections start soon in central Denver

Denver Public Works in coming weeks will begin ordering central Denver property owners to fix adjoining sidewalks that are crumbling, uneven or otherwise substandard.

The City Council on Monday approved a nearly $1 million contract with Chato’s Concrete LLC to provide city repair services in the first year of a new inspections program, which is expected to take several years.

Details of the long-discussed Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program were announced in December. The city budgeted $4 million this year to start the assistance program and revolving-loan fund.

The first of 11 inspection regions generally includes central neighborhoods between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard. Initially, starting in mid-August, inspectors will focus on the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, North Capitol Hill (also known as Uptown) and Speer.

Repair work is expected to range from simple grinding to full replacement, and it will start 45 days after the city sends out notices of damaged, uneven or excessively sloping sidewalks.

Owners of commercial and most multi-family properties will be responsible for arranging repairs outside the city program.

Several neighborhoods have a high proportion of historic flagstone sidewalks. For those, homeowners with severely damaged walks can opt for colored concrete under the city repair program or seek a private contractor to replace the flagstone.