The Blog

DENVER – Sustainable Design Build has been building along the Front range since 2016. But co-owner and general contractor Zach McKendry says he still doesn’t know what to expect while trying to get construction permits approved by the City of Denver, something he calls a “huge pain.”

Mayor Mike Johnston announced on April 14, 2025 his first executive order, the creation of the Denver Permitting Office, or DPO. Executive Order 151 takes aim at the infamous Denver City and County Department of Neighborhood Development along with all of the related department services that are intertwined with permitting processes for any type of construction in Denver. For years following the pandemic, Denver’s Developmental Services have been inundated with a boom of permitting and plan review requests which have led to astronomically long wait times. These wait times have even breached 300 days in recent years, leaving anybody; Developer, homeowner, or general contractor at the mercy of an overburdened bureaucratic system.

Denver’s permitting system is poised for a dramatic overhaul with Mayor Mike Johnston’s announcement of a new initiative that implements a 180-day “shot clock” for reviewing building applications. This long-awaited reform is designed to streamline and expedite the city’s notoriously slow and complex permitting process, which has stymied real estate development for decades. Developers like Joe Vostrejs, who has worked in Denver’s real estate sector for over 40 years, expressed optimism, calling the shift the most promising improvement in his career. The initiative introduces single-point project advocates—or “champions”—to guide applicants through a process that has often been delayed by conflicting guidance across departments.

​On April 14, 2025, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston issued his first executive order since taking office, establishing a new permitting office aimed at expediting and improving the city’s building approval process. This initiative addresses longstanding backlogs in the permitting system that have hindered development and contributed to housing challenges.​