Celeste seeks Denver tavern licence for South Broadway storefront

Overview

Updated Sep 28

Two city records now point to a planned tavern at 1242 S Broadway in Denver. A pending liquor licence lists the use as a tavern, and a commercial construction permit for a tenant finish is dated June 24, 2026 — the day it first appeared on the city's open-data list.

Neither record is an approval. The licence is pending, and the city lists no date for it. The tenant-finish permit covers renovation of the storefront, not permission to serve alcohol.

Why it matters

If approved, this turns a Denver South Broadway storefront into a tavern — a new bar for the city, pending review.

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Sent Nov 9. It carried:

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Key Indicators

Pending tavern liquor licence at 1242 S Broadway

City lists the licence as pending (LIQUOR - TAVERN) with no publication date.

Commercial tenant-finish permit

Construction permit for alteration/tenant finish, dated the day it appeared on the city list.

Official records for the address

One licence and one permit currently on file.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Celeste Ballerino

Likely applicant; Denver luxury real estate agent and developer

Active in Denver real estate

Organizations Involved

City and County of Denver

Municipal government

Licensing and permitting authority

Denver processes liquor licence applications and construction permits and publishes the records on its open-data portal.

Timeline

1 event Latest: June 24th, 2026 · 5 months ago

June 2026
Tavern licence and build-out permit appear on Denver record
Latest Permit filing

Denver's open-data portal lists a pending tavern liquor licence and a construction permit for a tenant finish at 1242 S Broadway. The permit is dated this day; the licence has no publication date.
June 24th, 2026

Scenarios

Tavern licence approved at 1242 S Broadway

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: No public prediction yet; outcome depends on Denver's licensing review.

If Denver approves the pending tavern licence and the tenant finish proceeds, the South Broadway storefront becomes a working bar. Approval would appear as an issued licence on the city's record, a step beyond the current pending status.

Tavern licence denied or withdrawn

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: No public prediction yet; a denial or withdrawal would follow city review.

Denver could reject the tavern licence, or the applicant could pull it. Either outcome would remove the pending application from the record without an issued licence.

Tavern licence still pending at year's end

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: No public prediction yet; licensing reviews can extend past a single year.

The application could remain under review past December 2026, with neither an issued licence nor a denial. The tenant-finish permit might be completed while the licence question stays open.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2004–2019

American Dream Meadowlands (2004–2019)

Ground broke in 2004 on a colossal New Jersey retail and entertainment complex, with approvals and permits in hand and an opening targeted for 2007. Construction stalled for years amid financing problems, and the first section finally opened in 2019 as American Dream.

Then

The project sat unfinished for over a decade, shedding owners and plans.

Now

It became a cautionary example that early permits and groundbreaking do not guarantee an on-time opening.

Why this matters now

A lone construction permit and a pending licence don't commit the 1242 S Broadway tavern to opening, or to any date.

1959–1973

Sydney Opera House (1959–1973)

Sydney approved construction of the Opera House in 1958, with groundbreaking in 1959 and a planned four-year build. Cost overruns and engineering problems stretched the work to 14 years.

Then

The project ran massively over budget and a decade behind schedule.

Now

It became a landmark example of how long large projects can take despite initial approvals.

Why this matters now

Approvals and groundbreakings are starting points, not finish lines — the same applies to a single storefront's licensing.