Frustrated by long delays in the city's permitting process, Denver homeowners and developers are now seeing a new effort to expedite the process.

In April, Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order to create the Denver Permitting Office, a move aimed at streamlining the city's permitting system. Under the mayor's plan, if a permit isn't approved within 180 days, the city will refund customers up to $10,000 in fees. 

Officials say the city is now working on new strategies to meet that 180-day deadline, especially for new commercial permits.

One local business owner says the new system made all the difference.

"The city did help with an easy permitting process. They helped with permitting for our sign, and the process was probably a lot longer before," said Violeta Gavrilovich, owner of Aloha Hat and Sole on 16th Street. 

The new Denver Permitting Office was created just 30 days after the executive order. It combines staff from seven city departments, all focused on accelerating permit approvals.

"Since the official launch, we've been busy fulfilling a number of the executive order's requirements," said Jill Jennings Golich, director of the Denver Permitting Office.

In its first 70 days, the office developed new internal policies and launched an internal dashboard to track permit timelines. The team also launched a new to make it easier for residents and developers to find permit information.

"Whether you're a homeowner adding on to your house or a developer planning a 15-story apartment building, so that they are set up for success to get through the permitting process as efficiently as possible," Jennings Golich said.

While small businesses like Gavrilovich's have seen quick turnarounds, others say big commercial projects still face long wait times.

Susanna Mejia, a longtime bookkeeper, said some permits are available much faster now, but larger commercial developments are still delayed.

"You're building a new single-family home or apartment complex, that's where the 180-day goal comes in," Jennings Golich said.

Residential permit review times are down more than 44% since 2023, exceeding the mayor's goal. But large commercial projects still take over 180 days in the city's hands, a delay officials say is partly due to developer response times.

So far, the city's new permitting dashboard shows progress. 

"We've built in key checkpoints to keep projects moving, and we're working hard to bring that number down," Jennings Golich said. "There may be even shorter deadlines in the future for smaller projects."

For now, city leaders say the focus is on clearing the backlog and improving response times across the board.