Nov 30, 2007 6:47 am US/Mountain
Denver's Mayor Sees Lasting Impact From Convention
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Mayor John Hickenlooper is looking forward to 2008, specifically the arrival of the Democratic National Convention. He is one of the members of the host committee.
Hickenlooper is excited to have the convention return to Denver after 100 years.
"The biggest opportunity for the whole Rocky Mountain West is to show off this new energy, the New West and the new opportunities we have here," he said.
"So much has happened in the last dozen years, we'll have 15 thousand journalists from all over the world broadcasting what is so great about Denver and Colorado."
For the mayor, that means making sure Denver looks as good as possible. Among the projects he has backed is the restoration of the electric fountain in Ferril Lake in City Park.
It was built in 1908, the same year of the last Democratic Convention in Denver and having it fully functional is just an example of how the mayor wants the entire city to look.
"We're going to try to have this city looking like it's never looked before."
Getting the money to pay for the convention means Hickenlooper is often out of state on fundraising trips. "The bottom line is, this is not just about Colorado, it's about Colorado and Montana and Wyoming," he said. "We are the American West, the Rocky Mountain West, that's all part of Colorado's brand so we might as well leverage."
Hickenlooper is also being aggressive about making sure Denver does not find itself in the same situation as Boston, which was owed federal money after the convention.
"We're working very closely with Sen. Salazar, Sen. Allard and our congressional representatives to structure it so we don't have to put our hands out to get paid back something we should have been paid up front. I'm not worried about it, I mean we'll do everything we can, but it's the federal government, you can't really control them."
For Denver's mayor the convention will last much longer than just the days journalists and delegates flood the city.
"It will shine a brighter light of attention on Denver and Colorado. I'm not that savvy a political analyst, so I'm not that quick to speak about it but I do believe all those journalists here for five days will have a positive impact not just for this year but for years to come."
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