Resumé

NAME:
Steve Hogan

5280 January 2012
More From The Issue

AGE: 63

Experience: In addition to his six terms as an Aurora city councilman, Hogan has long worked in the public transportation sector, helping to lead the building and operation of E-470 and the Northwest Parkway (the toll road between DIA and Broomfield).

Why did you decide to run?

Under [former mayors] Paul and Ed Tauer, we went from a medium-size suburb to the 56th-largest
city in the country, had an Air National Guard base become an Air Force Base, saw light rail come to Aurora, had E-470 built and I-225 widened, and saw Fitzsimons reborn as the Anschutz Medical Campus. I thought I had the ability to continue that momentum.

Is Aurora well positioned to take advantage
of all these changes?

Any suburb gets criticized for sprawl, but the growth and development here has been well planned and
includes the infrastructure. We don’t just have the land; we have our own water supply, and we’re now
cooperating on water rights—which is a good thing, particularly for the south suburban communities.

What issues are at the top of your priority list?

There are a host of RTD issues around expanding C-470 and I-225 and getting the light rail finished. We also need to elevate the discussion around developing the arts and cultural affairs. We’re a big city now.

What’s the status of the proposed Gaylord hotel, and will it affect the National Western Stock Show?

We’re waiting for a decision from the state economic board about whether they’ll authorize the subsidies. It’s a project that will provide incentive for the Denver Convention Center to go after more projects. It’s competition that will make downtown Denver more successful, and it will encourage economic development around DIA while supporting Mayor Hancock’s economic agenda. Any decision on the Stock Show would come after that, but we’re hoping to cooperate with Denver to find a solution that works for everyone.