Downtown Denver business leaders are banking on two Colorado brands specializing in ice cream and milk tea to bring more families and visitors to 16th Street when its renovation finishes this fall.

Sundae Artisan Ice Cream and Milk Tea People were loaned a combined $1.4 million last month by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which oversees a special district raising taxes for downtown development projects.

It’s a sliver of the $100 million awarded by the district to ten projects — including $23 million to buy two parking lots and $30 million for improvements to Civic Center park — though its boosters say the shops are the kind of food and drink establishments they want to see on the mall.

“That is definitely a part of what our emphasis is, is getting good, relatable restaurant

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