Denver Publishes Annual Reports for Elevate, RISE Bond Programs

Published on April 16, 2026

Denver— The Denver Department of Finance (DOF) today announced it has published 2025 annual reports for the Elevate and RISE Denver bond programs, where residents can review the overall status of each bond program, including project milestones, financial information, and achievements to date. Together, these programs (approved by voters in 2017 and 2021) are delivering over 500 projects across Denver and nearly $1.2 billion of investment.

“Denver continues to deliver on projects that make a difference,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “These improvements are transforming the city and reflect the priorities I hear every day from Denverites – exceptional parks and playgrounds, improved accessibility, and better roads to make the walk to work or the drive home not only safer but smoother.”

Highlights from the Elevate Denver annual report include:

10-year, $937 million bond program approved by voters in 2017
476 projects
As of the end of 2025:
- 1 project in development
- 29 projects in design
- 17 projects in construction
- 429 projects completed
- $732.2 million spent, representing 78% of total program funding
Over 14,165 workers employed at competitive wages totaling $116.3 million
- Hear from Dean Smith, a participant in the Local 9 Apprenticeship Program and a site operator on the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, on his experience

Highlights from the RISE Denver report include:

Multi-year, $260 million bond program approved by voters in 2021
90 total projects
As of the end of 2025:
- 0 projects in development
- 40 projects in design
- 39 projects in construction
- 11 projects completed
- $101.3 million spent, representing 39% of total program funding

From 2017 through February 2026, roughly $213.7 million has flowed to certified small, minority, or woman-owned businesses on projects in the Elevate and RISE bond programs, which will continue to increase as project construction contracts are executed. Both Elevate and RISE Denver bond programs are on track to be substantially completed by the end of 2027.

Resources

Review the 2025 Elevate Denver Bond Annual Report
Review the 2025 RISE Denver Bond Annual Report
Hear from community about the impact of Elevate & RISE bond programs
- 16^th St renovation: Heather Delaney, general manager at Appaloosa Grill, shares her experience on the impact of the renovation.
- Colfax BRT: Dean Smith, a participant in the Local 9 Apprenticeship Program and a site operator on the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, shares his experience.
- Red Rocks: Mark W, Red Rocks concert attendee, shares his experience with the new ADA improvements.
- La Raza Park: Tavo Orias of T2 Construction, the company leading renovation efforts at La Raza Park, shares his experience growing up in the area and now renovating the park.
- Urban Peak Mothership Shelter: Ben Kinghorn, director of shelter services at Urban Peak, shares his experience on the shelter improvements.
Visit the Elevate and RISE Denver Bond webpages: denvergov.org/gobonds
Visit the Elevate and RISE programs map

About Denver GO Bonds

General obligation (GO) bonds are a long-term debt instrument issued by state or local governments to fund public capital improvement projects such as roads, bridges, bikeways, public facilities and parks. This includes restoring, replacing and expanding existing capital assets. Local GO bond programs are authorized by Denver voters every 4-10 years and repaid through property taxes. In addition to the $950 million Vibrant Denver package, Denver’s previous bond programs include Elevate Denver, a 10-year, $937 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2017, and RISE Denver, a five-year, $260 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2021. For more information, visit denvergov.org/gobonds.

About the Denver Department of Finance

Committed to being the best financially managed city and county in the nation, the Department of Finance (DOF) unifies the financial and accounting functions of the City and County of Denver and provides residents easy access to key financial data through Transparent Denver. DOF is divided into the Office of the CFO and seven divisions, including the Assessor’s Office, Controller’s Office, Budget and Management Office, Capital Management and Financing, Real Estate, Risk Management and Worker’s Compensation, and Treasury. For more information, visit Denvergov.org/finance.

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