Your Daily Guide

🔮 Are We Getting the Mercury Cafe Back?

Public benefit organization CoCreate is buying the Mercury Cafe, after the long-time artistic hangout has sat empty for the past few months. CoCreate Director of Experience and Prismajic cofounder Jennifer Mosquera plans to preserve the cafe’s “bohemian aesthetic,” with some renovations and changes. Their team has been in conversation with the Mercury Cafe founder, Marilyn Megenity, to “honor the past but move forward with the future.” [Westword]

• Most recently: The latest tenant of the space was The Pearl, a sapphic bar that flopped due to financial problems and drama with the owners. In April 2026, the property inside the building was seized by the city for unpaid sales and occupational privilege taxes.
• Before that: Danny Newman bought the property from original owner Megenity in 2021, and ran it as the Mercury Cafe until 2024. He couldn’t find a buyer, but in April 2025 leased the space to Ashlee Cassity and Dom Garcia, who would reopen it as The Pearl.
• Originally: Megenity opened the Mercury Cafe in this building in Five Points in 1990 — its 13th location since she founded it in 1975. [Auraria Library]
• What’s next? CoCreate signed a purchasing agreement for the building on Sept. 11, and told Westword the unpaid taxes will be “dealt with” by Newman. The new owners say the cafe could reopen as early as January or February, and the original creative groups that held space in the cafe will be welcomed back. [Westword]

🎭 How Much For an Abandoned Theater?!

The owners of the Broncos quietly put in an offer on the deserted Aztlan Theatre earlier this year, but the theater owner says the offer was a “lowball” and he ghosted them. The owner of the Aztlan, Timeo Correa, bought the property in 1972, and has unsuccessfully protested the valuation of it twice. When he offered to sell the theater to the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group for $4.6 million and the group countered with $2 million, Correa left them on read. “I just didn’t answer them,” he told Axios. [Axios Denver, CBS Colorado]

🏡 Home Buying Assistance for Colorado Teachers

A new state program is helping Colorado teachers and public school employees with down payments and closing costs when buying homes. The program, called Schools to Home, launched this summer as a resource for first-time homebuyers. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority manages the program, and estimates that with its initial funding, the program can help with around 125 home purchases, chipping in about $80,000 each. [Chalkbeat]

• How’s it going? Since its July start, 85 people have already used the program.
• Check it out: Head over to the Schools to Home website to learn about eligibility and more!

🧑‍⚖️ What’s Happening on Supreme Court Livestreams?

On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court announced it will pause livestreaming of criminal court proceedings temporarily due to disruptions from “bad actors” during hearings. Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Marquez said that livestreaming will be off until at least Dec. 14, when judges can choose to opt in instead of opting out, which was previously required. [9News]

• What happened? People are disrupting proceedings by posting violent and other inappropriate content. Others have been illegally recording proceedings and monetizing the videos online.

I’m excited to share some recommendations from City Cast Denver Neighbors about their fave local people, places, and organizations in the Mile High, so they can become your favorites too 💚

📣 John H. has a shoutout for Beet and Yarrow: a “super design forward, woman-owned flower shop!”

📣 Marci F. has a shoutout for Honor Tile Society: “making mahjong accessible to all!”

📣 Stewart G. has a shoutout for Old Alt New: “a residential architecture office in Denver helping homeowners improve their homes - while looking out for their fellow neighbors!”

Become a City Cast Denver Neighbor today to share your own shoutout in this newsletter and on the podcast. Plus, you’ll get a weekly curated events roundup, ad-free podcast feed, special bonus segments, invites to Neighbor meetups, and so much more 😎