The Downtown Denver Partnership and Denver Arts & Venues could get an extra $1.5 million from the city for mall activation and events.

As the mile-long pedestrian mall's renovation nears completion, leaders say they have one shot to convince more people to return downtown.

Chef Nicholas Kayser was excited to open a restaurant on the 16th Street Mall. "The revitalization and renaissance down there in LoDo is gonna be exciting," he told Westword in May, when he debuted Eat'Ya Pizza at 1530 16th Street.