Little Saigon advocates seek early aid before Federal Boulevard transit construction

Four people with ties to Little Saigon urged Denver to help local businesses prepare for bus rapid transit construction on Federal Boulevard in written submissions to City Council’s Oct. 26 public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget. Their requests included early financial assistance, translated applications and updates, signs to help customers find businesses, access measures during construction and longer-term protections against displacement. The submissions document requests, not city commitments.

Mimi Luong, who said she co-owns Truong An Gifts and manages the Far East Center, called for help before businesses reach a crisis, along with translated applications, clear construction updates and customer signs. Thanh (Kevin) Tran asked for construction mitigation to maintain customer access and visibility, as well as longer-term protections against displacement. Ileana Rivera asked the city to make Little Saigon businesses eligible for assistance and continue exploring support for a community cultural center and museum.

Thu Le, a business and commercial-property owner, asked whether a fund she called the “Business Improvement Fund” would cover businesses affected by the project, including when construction is administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). She also asked the city to provide help before businesses face closure.

At an Oct. 27 Finance and Business Committee briefing, Denver officials said existing Business Impact Opportunity Fund (BIO Fund) money was expected to cover the Colfax bus rapid transit project, but no BIO Fund dollars were then set aside for Federal Boulevard. Officials also said the fund had relied on federal sources that were largely no longer available.

Councilwoman Sawyer discussed a proposal to create a special-revenue fund dedicated to the BIO Fund and formalize a wider set of business-support options, including grants, technical assistance and potential tax assistance. The committee took no action on the proposal. Officials and council members pointed to a Nov. 10 follow-up for more details; the proposal had not been approved as of the Oct. 27 meeting. The committee briefing includes the funding-status statements and discussion.

Denver’s BIO Fund offers grants of up to $15,000 in its current round to businesses affected by specified city-funded construction projects. The city’s program rules set location and revenue-loss requirements, call this the final round for bus rapid transit impacts and list a Nov. 10, 2026, application deadline. The rules do not specify whether Federal Boulevard or CDOT-administered work qualifies. Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed 2027 budget would make up to $2 million available for the fund in 2027, subject in part to further city action.

CDOT’s timeline plans corridor construction, testing and commissioning from 2027 through 2029, with service scheduled to begin in 2030. A CDOT announcement says construction on 28 station platforms from 52nd Avenue to Alameda Avenue is scheduled to begin in fall 2027; work on the remaining 46 stations is anticipated to start in summer 2028. Those are station-construction phases, not a block-by-block schedule for roadway work or Little Saigon.

CDOT says it is committed to keeping business access open and communicating proactively. Its project FAQ says details of communication tactics will come closer to construction and that a small-business support program is still being developed.