Culshaw’s company, Shea Properties, purchased the four-story, 124,000-square-foot building at 4340 S. Monaco St. in the Denver Tech Center for $12 million on Thursday, according to public records.

The deal, for about $97 a square foot, paves the way for the region’s first post-pandemic conversion of a large office building into residences.

“Call me crazy,” Culshaw quipped.

The deal is the culmination of a year and a half of securing financing, finalizing plans and even warding off some opposition from neighbors. But with the building under his firm’s ownership, Culshaw now expects to fashion it into 143 income-restricted apartments in about a year.

The deal is financed through a combination of private equity, $29 million in Denver-issued private activity bonds and an additional $4 million in federal and state tax credits. Culshaw said he sold the bonds at the start of April, right before markets were jolted by President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement.

“I think it’s a mixture of luck, and we thought it was a good time to do it,” Culshaw said.

The building lends itself well for a conversion, he added. It has few columns and wide-open spaces with huge glass windows that host what he called great views.

“You’re starting with kind of a blank slate, which I think makes it a whole lot easier,” Culshaw said.

It’s not the first time the developer has worked with a blank slate at this site, though. Culshaw said he sold the land for development in June 2000 for $7.2 million. The property traded hands a couple of times thereafter. It last sold for $69.3 million in March 2006, though that deal included another office building next door. By the time Culshaw got around to buying the 4340 building, it was entirely vacant.

“I knew that building was empty, and I knew the broker that was trying to lease it really well, and so I called him up and said, would they sell it and give me a year to convert it or to plan a conversion? And we made a deal,” Culshaw said.

That arrangement includes a first right of refusal for Shea Properties to buy the office building to the south at 4350 S. Monaco St., public records show, which was rezoned along with Culshaw’s 4340 building last summer.

The Monaco project is the furthest along of the 10 proposed office-to-residential conversions BusinessDen has reported on since the pandemic. Proposals have been submitted for a slew of downtown office towers, including most recently for the two at 621 and 633 17th St.

Denver’s most recent residential conversion, which was initiated before the pandemic, was Nichols Partnership’s transformation of the former Art Institute of Colorado building in Cap Hill.

This story was originally published by BusinessDen.

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Miami-based Fruselva issued the recall in March for Target’s Good & Gather Baby Pea, Zucchini, Kale & Thyme Vegetable Puree, sold in 4-ounce tubs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The packages include lot number 4167, with a best-by date of Dec. 7, and lot number 4169, with a best-by date of Dec. 9.

Consumers should not feed babies the products.

The recall is listed as Class II, which means the products are unlikely to cause serious harm, but still have the potential to result in temporary or reversible problems.

There is no safe level of exposure to lead for children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure to the heavy metal can cause developmental and cognitive problems.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’ve waited till the last minute to file your taxes, don’t panic. You still have time to get it done.

And if you’re worried that you still might not be able to finish in time, you can file for an extension, which will give you until Oct. 16 to file your return.

What do I need to file my tax return?

Generally, every tax-filer needs the following at hand

— your Social Security number

— W-2 forms, if you’re employed

— 1099-G forms, if you’re unemployed

— 1099 forms, if you’re self-employed

— Savings and investment records

— A sense of any eligible deductions, such as education expenses, medical bills, charitable donations, etc.

— A sense of relevant tax credits, such as the child tax credit, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, recommends gathering all your documents in one place before you start your tax return, as well as having your documents from last year if your financial situation has drastically changed.

Theresa Grover, site coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, also recommends taxpayers create an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

How do I file for an extension?

If you run out of time to file your tax return, you can file for an extension to take more time by using your preferred tax software, with the IRS Free File tool, or via mail.

However, it’s important to remember the extension is only to file your tax return, not to pay owed taxes. If you owe taxes, you should pay an estimated amount before the deadline to avoid paying penalties and interest. If you expect to receive a refund, you’ll still receive your money when you file your taxes.

The deadline to file for an extension is Tuesday, April 15, which will give you until Oct. 16 to file.

How can I avoid mistakes filing my taxes?

Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. To avoid common errors:

— Double check your name on your Social Security card.

When working with clients, O’Saben always asks them to bring their Social Security card to double-check their number and their legal name, which can change after marriage, for example.

“You may have changed your name but you didn’t change it with Social Security,” O’Saben said. “If the Social Security number doesn’t match the first four letters of the last name, the return will be rejected and that will delay processing.”

— Search for tax statements if you’ve opted out of paper mail.

Many people like to opt out of snail mail, but paper mail can also include your tax documents.

“If you didn’t get anything in the mail doesn’t mean that there isn’t an information document out there that you need to be aware of and report accordingly,” said O’Saben.

— Report all of your income.

If you had more than one job in 2022, you need the W-2 forms for each — not just the one from the job you ended the year with, said Christina Wease, interim director of the tax clinic at Michigan State University.

What resources are available?

For those who make $73,000 or less per year, the IRS offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you. If you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool.

Beyond TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE). People who earn $60,000 or less a year, those who have a disability, and those who speak limited English all qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations hosting VITA and TCE clinics.

If you have a tax problem, there are clinics around the country that can help you resolve these issues. Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

The preliminary Airports Council International rankings also place DIA as the third-busiest in North America for the fourth year, based on DIA’s record passenger traffic last year.

Capacity growth by the largest airlines and increased flight frequencies, combined with new carriers adding service, maintained DIA’s position. Aer Lingus launched flights to Dublin, Ireland, and Turkish Airlines launched flights to Istanbul, Turkey. DIA chief executive Phil Washington cited “continued, thoughtful growth” toward a target of handling 100 million passengers within the next couple of years by expanding global reach.

DIA’s record-breaking 82.3 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2024 represented a 5.8% increase compared with 2023. International passenger traffic at DIA is increasing faster – up 15% above the 2023 level to more than 4.6 million. That’s 46% more than the pre-pandemic international passenger traffic in 2019.

Worldwide, DIA’s passenger traffic placed behind the numbers in Atlanta (108 million), Dubai (92.3 million), Dallas/Fort Worth (87.8 million), Tokyo (85.9 million), and London (83.8 million).

The ACI airport rankings are based on data from 2,700 airports worldwide. DIA had the fourth most aircraft takeoffs and landings among the world’s airports last year, exceeded only by the aircraft movements at Atlanta, Chicago/O’Hare, and Dallas-Ft. Worth.

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The national neighborhood grocer, known for its mix of everyday staples and unique finds like trendy mini canvas tote bags and frozen hash brown patties, has leased a 25,000-square-foot space at City Center Marketplace, between Golf Galaxy and Sierra Trading Post at 92nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard.

“We’ve consulted our maps and compass and have found a terrific location for a store in Westminster, CO,” the grocer announced on its website.

“We are proud to be joining the neighborhood, and to continue our commitment to providing nourishment to the surrounding communities through our Neighborhood Shares program.”

The store, 9350 Sheridan Blvd., will be added to the lineup of locations in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Greenwood Village, Littleton and Parker.

In addition to unconventional finds, fresh flowers and everyday basics like milk, eggs, meat, bakery items and fresh produce, the new Westminster location will also offer beer and wine, according to the store’s description.

The exact date and time for the store opening later this year has yet to be announced.

Founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s shoppers “travel the world searching for products,” and won’t find a lot of branded items on its shelves.

The company website currently lists 10 planned locations “opening soon” across several states such as Oklahoma, California and Texas.

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Starbucks is imposing new limits on what its baristas can wear under their green aprons.

Starting May 12, employees will be required to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. Shirts can be short- or long-sleeved and collared or collarless, the company said in a memo released Monday. Starbucks will give each employee two free T-shirts.

Starbucks said the new dress code will make its green aprons stand out and create a sense of familiarity for customers. It comes as the company is trying to reestablish a warmer, more welcoming experience in its store.

“By updating our dress code, we can deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners, which means they can focus on what matters most, crafting great beverages and fostering connections with customers,” the company said in a post on its website.

But some workers protested the move. Starbucks Workers United, a labor group that has unionized workers at more than 550 of Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores, said it told the company last week that it has already negotiated a tentative dress code agreement during bargaining sessions with the company. The union said it opposes any changes to the dress code until bargaining concludes and a labor agreement is reached.

Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate, said the company should be focusing on things that improve store operations, like appropriately staffing stores and giving workers a guaranteed number of hours.

“Instead of addressing the most pressing issues baristas have been raising for years, Starbucks is prioritizing a limiting dress code that won’t improve the company’s operation,” Leli said in a statement provided by the union. “They’re forcing baristas to pay for new clothes when we’re struggling as it is on Starbucks wages and without guaranteed hours.”

The new guidance comes nearly a decade after Starbucks loosened its dress code to give employees more opportunity for self-expression. In 2016, the company expanded the color of shirts employees could wear, adding gray, navy, dark denim and brown to the previous guidance of black or white. It also allowed patterned shirts in those colors.

In 2019, the company tweaked the dress code again, allowing one facial piercing as long as it was no larger than a dime. The new dress code still allows one facial piercing.

BANGKOK (AP) — The Trump administration has taken its next steps toward imposing more tariffs on key imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chip making equipment and pharmaceuticals.

The Department of Commerce posted notices about the probes late Monday on the Federal Register, seeking public comment within three weeks. It had not formally announced them earlier.

Although President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for 90 days, apart from those for imports from China, he has said he still plans tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.

The Commerce Department said it is investigating how imports of computer chips, equipment to make them and products that contain them — which include many daily necessities such as cars, refrigerators, smart phones and other items — affect national security. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 permits the president to order tariffs for the sake of national security.

The probe includes assessing the potential for U.S. domestic production of computer chips to meet U.S. demand and the role of foreign manufacturing and assembly, testing and packaging in meeting those needs.

Among other aspects of the entire computer chip supply chain, the government intends to also study the risks of having computer chip production concentrated in other places and the impact on U.S. competitiveness from foreign government subsidies, “foreign unfair trade practices and state-sponsored overcapacity.”

After Trump said electronics would not be included in what his administration calls “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on some nations, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained in an interview on ABC News that pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and autos will be handled with “sector specific” tariffs.

“And those are not available for negotiation,” Lutnick said. “They are just going to be part of making sure we reshore the core national security items that need to be made in this country. We need to make medicine in this country,” he said. “We need to make semiconductors.”

The investigation into pharmaceutical imports includes ingredients used to make such drugs and touches on many of the same aspects of relying on imports to make them.

Asked about his plans for more tariffs on pharmaceuticals, Trump said Monday, “Yeah, we’re going to be doing that.”

He said it would be in the “not too distant future.”

“We’re doing it because we want to make our own drugs,” he said.

More than 70% of the materials, or active pharmaceutical ingredients, used to make medicines made in the United States are produced in other countries, with India, the European Union and China leading suppliers. The U.S. produces about a fifth of all pharmaceuticals made worldwide, but consumes about 45%, far more than any other country.

The U.S. also is a major producer of semiconductors, but only in some areas. It relies heavily on imports from Taiwan and South Korea for certain kinds of advanced chips. In particular, Taiwan dominates advanced logic chip production at 92% of all fabrication capacity according to the International Trade Administration, with South Korea making 8%.

Products like laptops, smartphones and the components needed to make them accounted for nearly $174 billion in U.S. imports from China last year. The administration’s plans suggest that such electronics will still be taxed by previous (non-“reciprocal”) tariffs — and potentially under additional, sector-specific levies.

Although major computer chip makers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. are investing heavily in U.S. manufacturing facilities, partly due to incentives put in place during former President Joe Biden’s time in office, the costly process of changing entire supply chains would take years.

Separately, the Commerce Department said Monday that it was withdrawing from a 2019 agreement that had suspended an antidumping investigation into imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, effective in 90 days. It said the current arrangement failed to protect U.S. growers from “unfairly priced” imports of tomatoes. Most tomatoes from Mexico will be subject to a 20.91% tariff, it said.

Above the family name was the number 100. What began as a humble mom-and-pop grocer and butcher shop a century ago is now a well-greased sausage factory, selling its products to big-name distributors such as Shamrock Foods, US Foods and Sysco, which get them to major sporting venues such as Ball Arena and Coors Field.

Later this month, the brother-and-sister duo behind the sausage links will transfer their delivery system to Dot Transportation, a food redistribution company that will bring Polidori Sausage to all 50 states, Melodie Polidori Harris said. It’s a significant undertaking for the family and company, one that she and her brother, Steve Polidori, are not taking lightly as they strive to make Polidori a household name around the country.

Passing distribution duties on to Dot Transportation is “scary and exciting at the same time,” said Polidori, who bought the business from his grandfather in 2001 and brought his sister on board the following year. The company has grown exponentially after decades of “small, sustained growth,” he said, at the same time keeping its recipes and business mantra simple.

“Isn’t the sausage fun enough on its own?” he asked from inside Coors Field, where Polidori Sausage expanded this season to three standalone concessions. A chorizo brat, a hatch chile-and-cheese brat and a jalapeño-cheddar brat are all on the menu and stacked with grilled corn, onions and even more peppers and cheese.

The siblings’ great-grandparents were Italian immigrants who met in Magna, Utah, and moved to Denver to open their grocery store in 1925. Their grandfather, Louis Polidori, and great-uncle took over and ran the store for decades.

Their parents were far removed from the business, their father an attorney and mother a retired judge. Steve Polidori joined his grandfather at the family’s meat-processing facility while studying at Colorado State University in the early ’90s and stayed on after graduation.

“I’d call my restaurants, get their orders for the week, make the sausage and then deliver it,” he said. On a good week, the plant would prepare 5,000 pounds of raw sausage.

Now, at the company’s facility in the Park Hill neighborhood, where Polidori Sausage relocated nine years ago, they are moving 80,000 to 100,000 pounds a week, Polidori said. About 80 percent of that, Polidori Harris estimated, are orders from restaurants, stadiums, hotels and colleges.

Its newest client is Anthony’s Pizza and Pasta, Polidori Harris said, a Colorado franchise with 18 locations in the state.

“Their century-long, family-run legacy in Colorado aligns perfectly with our values and commitment to quality,” Anthony’s CEO Garrett Brizendine said in a statement. “You’ll soon see their bold, authentic flavor featured in several of our sausage-based items — a true local collaboration we’re proud to share.”

The siblings and Polidori Harris’ son, William Polidori Harris, were at McGregor Square for a pregame mixer organized by the team for its major supporters and partners. After seven years inside the stadium, their brats are now in almost every concession, Melodie said. Her brother still gets excited every time their company logo and last name flash on the stadium’s digital banners.

William represents the fifth generation of the Polidori Sausage family. He did so proudly at the game, crowned in a black cap with “SAUSAGE” written on the front. He attended CSU and joined the company soon after, first with human resources and now as part of the sales team.

“I order a lot of pork and a lot of spices,” he said, adding that customers in general are trending toward a “clean label” like that of the family’s recipes.

As much as the family would like to keep control of their growth, it hasn’t felt that way this year, Melodie Polidori Harris said. The jump from the company’s current delivery system to Dot Transportation will spread its sausage links across the country. The larger customer base and consolidation of purchase orders has felt like a big responsibility for the family name, she said.

“We’re so used to holding the hands of our customers, and it’s gonna take some of that away,” she said, her eyes gazing steadily at the future.

And they’ve got a solid history to brag about: Later this month, Polidori Sausage and other Colorado organizations turning 100 will be honored at the 2025 Business Awards hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

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“Our experience at Porteos and the deals that we were not able to compete for because we didn’t have enough land led me to pursue other alternatives in the area,” said Bill Wichterman, president of the San Juan Co.

“This one was right across the street, so it made all kinds of sense in the world.”

Porteos, a 1,287-acre commercial mixed-use site 2 miles south of DIA’s main terminal, was once given little notice when it was first introduced but has since garnered attention from major companies such as Amazon and Costco.

The site has a little over 200 acres still available. However, only about 65 of those acres are contiguous, limiting its appeal to large-scale users like Philip Morris International or Microsoft, Wichterman said.

As a result, Wichterman said they have chosen to pursue the King Ranch site as demand for land near the airport continues to grow.

Aurora public records show that talks surrounding King Ranch have been ongoing for more than two decades, ever since the land was annexed into the city in the late 1980s.

Since then, the area has been dormant and untouched, allowing itself to be open for the opportunity to be customizable, according to Steven Mulhern, owner and president of Mulhern and Co.

“To have 500 acres that’s contiguous this close to the airport is one of the primary features that I think sets this project apart,” said Mulhern, who is representing the seller, Monaghan Properties LLC, and the buyer, the San Juan Co.

“We’ve seen a number of users come in wanting 150 to 300 acres to 500 acres, and for various reasons — many of the users today want to own their own site. They want to control their own destiny.”

King Ranch will be south of Porteos at the corner of 56th Avenue and Monaghan Road. The land is designated for industrial use, including manufacturing, technology, distribution and data centers.

Documents outlining the King Ranch master plan show the area will feature pedestrian trails, public art and open spaces. The development will also embrace a design theme that highlights the site’s industrial and commercial character, incorporating materials such as board-form concrete, stone veneer and gabion structures.

“King Ranch is the next piece for large industrial developments. It’s perfectly situated for it,” Wichterman said.

“The time is now and I’m just excited to have something else to work on out there that could accommodate these kinds of users.”

Porteos is home to users such as Kroger and its 300,000-square-foot customer fulfillment center, Kärcher’s North American headquarters featuring a 280,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and 100,000 square feet of office space, the DIA Logistics Park and JAG Logistics Center at DEN.

A few other companies on the site include FedEx, Ryder, Costco, Amazon and Walmart, which has yet to build its e-commerce distribution center on the 169 acres of land it acquired for $13.5 million in 2016.

The price at which the San Juan Co. is acquiring the land has not been disclosed. Mulhern said they expect to close the deal in late summer or early fall of this year.

After that, Wichterman’s team will begin the next phase of installing and building out the infrastructure on the site for a user to come in. This includes water, sewer and street systems.

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“Is writing a letter and copying 140 people on it the best way to go? Sometimes,” the owner of Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar said of the email he sent in early February. “Sometimes you got to make a lot of noise. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

An increased police presence, which Johnston announced at a news conference earlier this month, is the main reason Query is optimistic about LoDo’s future.

A four-person, mounted horse patrol unit, 10 extra officers and a safety hub kiosk at 16th and Arapahoe streets are among the changes Johnston announced to improve conditions along the 16th Street Mall. He also touted additional private security presence and expanded mental health and paramedic support for the area.

“That’s all we were asking for,” Query said. “Let’s reinstate law and order down here so that if people need help, they get the help they need and they’re not just left on the corner to just be unhinged for hours at a time.”

Query is hopeful that downtown infrastructure, like sidewalks and trees, will get cleaned up too. This is the first year the city is responsible for sidewalk repairs and maintenance following a 2022 ballot measure.

He said a decrepit Westword distribution box in front of Jax, which is at the corner of 17th and Wazee, and a dumpster taking up two parking spaces have already been moved by the city.

“This is your marquee, showcase, tourist destination,” he said. “When you got big roll-off dumpsters, the (parking) meters are bagged, the sidewalks and the curbs are all cracked, the tree wells are broken, some of the trees are dead. It’s like, ‘Wow, this place really needs some love.’ And they’re promising that love.”

Query said he and a group of LoDo restaurateurs and business owners met with Johnston, Police Chief Ron Thomas and Adeeb Khan, the director of Denver’s Economic Development and Opportunity office, in early March, going line-by-line through his February letter for 90 minutes.

Query noted that the city officials agreed with most of the letter and promised to come back with a plan to address his big asks, like more police, better infrastructure and parking solutions.

Query said he met with the group a second time on April 2 after Johnston’s news conference, where they laid out how the new initiative corresponds to Query’s original complaints.

Though Query had nothing but positive things to say about interacting with the city, he noted that follow-through still needs to happen. He said things like Colorado’s use of personal recognizance bonds, which allow someone to get released from jail without paying bail as long as they promise to appear in court, need to change too.

“(Cops are) walking into situations where they don’t have the authority they need to do the job, to enforce the laws,” he said. “They’re just there to be babysitters at times.

“But I do think (more police downtown) will create an uncomfortable situation,” he added. “Nobody wants to party with their parents, so you go to where your parents aren’t.”

As far as parking goes, Query said he thinks the increased patrol will lead to better enforcement of meters with yellow no-parking bags on them from Wednesday through Friday. He said oftentimes the city doesn’t take them off when they should at 11:59 p.m. on Fridays, effectively eliminating parking throughout the weekend.

He also said getting food trucks more spaces in front of empty storefronts rather than closer to open retailers is another necessary step to open up more parking spaces. He said Seattle and Portland, Oregon, which have parks and alleys dedicated to the mobile kitchens, are good examples to follow.

“It’s not a light switch. It’s going to take a minute. And that’s cool. … Of course it’s going to take a minute,” he said. “But just the whole energy and positioning and what seemed to be a real forthright commitment to, ‘Yes, we hear you. Yes, we agree with some, if not most, of what you’re saying, … and that we’re committed to making it right for downtown.’”

Story via BusinessDen

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