A Houston-based esports company plans to open 10 youth esports training facilities in Colorado as the industry continues to gain popularity.<\p> Valhallan has opened its first esports training center at 3800 W. 144th Ave., in Broomfield, and says it plans nine more statewide. The company has identified Littleton, Longmont, Westminster and Fort Collins as areas of interest, said Kelly Fleischhacker, Valhallan’s director of marketing.<\p>

A Miami Beach-based Pilates franchise is coming to Denver’s RiNo neighborhood early next year.<\p> JETSET Pilates aim to open an approximately 1,900-square-foot studio at 3191 Walnut St. in mid-January, depending on how fast franchisees Kelly Hennessy and Chad Goldfarb can obtain all the permits necessary, they said.<\p>

A large real estate firm with offices in Denver and Chicago has purchased a four-building, 135-unit apartment community in Centennial.<\p> Real estate company Laramar bought SouthGlenn Place apartments, at 6541-6651 S. Vine St., for $22.35 million from Chicago-based investment management firm 29th Street, according to a special warranty deed filed in Arapahoe County. <\p>

Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. <\p> The pandemic brought about widespread remote work, but those days are nearing an end as employers push for more in-office work. <\p>

The job market may be slowing but there is still intense competition for jobs. A lot depends on where you are applying.<\p> A new report from Resume.io calculated the average number of applicants job ads receive within one week of being posted on LinkedIn Jobs in 122 global cities and every U.S. state. It compared those figures to 2023 data to find the most competitive places for jobs.<\p>

Dallas-based AT&T Inc. this week announced a partnership with a Denver-based artificial intelligence software company.<\p> AT&T (NYSE: T) signed an agreement with Unsupervised.com Inc., which provides AI software that automates data analytics to help companies make more informed decisions. Unsupervised's software has identified more than $100 million worth of opportunities that can be deployed for AT&T, the companies said.<\p>

The architect behind Denver International Airport’s iconic tent design is selling a Cherry Hills Village mansion for $12.95 million — $1 million less than the property listed for last year. <\p> The home is owned by an LLC associated with Agatha Kessler, chairman of Denver-based Fentress Architects, according to public records. <\p>

Just as the Mile High business community is ever-evolving, the Denver Business Journal strives to keep up and recognize the professionals who move us forward. In 2024, we created a new program honoring the leaders who many consider to be the unsung heroes of a company’s accomplishments: the CFO Awards.<\p> I can’t tell you how pleased I am that this first year of the CFO Awards has been such a success. From a stellar list of nominees to a sold-out event, the Denver business community has embraced this award.<\p>

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday released his 2025 budget plan, which includes several big pockets of spending: health care, housing and homelessness. <\p> In a news release Thursday, the mayor called the budget plan "a down payment on the brighter, more vibrant future" for Denver residents. The city's General Fund budget for 2025 is $1.76 billion dollars, which the mayor's office said is 0.6% more than last year. The office said it's the slowest rate of growth for the budget in 14 years.<\p>

A Brisbane, Australia-based Pilates company will open its first location in Colorado early next month, the company announced.<\p> Studio Pilates will open its first studio Oct. 5 in west Arvada at 18148 W 92nd Lane, Suite 200. The Arvada studio will be the first in Colorado and the 10th in the United States.<\p>

Trade groups are sounding the alarm on a tax cut used by millions of small businesses that's set to expire at the end of 2025. Right now, there is no clear plan to keep it.<\p> The Section 199A deduction, passed as part of the Trump administration’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, allows pass-through businesses — including sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporations — to deduct up to 20% of qualified income, with certain caveats and qualifications. Businesses with income under a certain amount, for example, are able to claim all of their income. <\p>

Raising capital in today's market is no small feat, and it's especially hard to establish a new venture capital fund.<\p> Bozeman, Montana-based Next Frontier Capital (NFC), an early-stage VC firm with an office in Boulder, completed raising money Wednesday for a $102 million fund from which it will make startup investments. <\p>

Hundreds of people living in and around the Conifer area gathered at a Jefferson County Planning Commission meeting with a purpose: to “Stop the Bike Park.”<\p> Wearing red T-shirts and stickers bearing the slogan, approximately 120 people planned to testify against a seasonal, day-use and lift-accessed bike park over the course of the Wednesday and Thursday night Jefferson County Planning Commission meetings.<\p>

Supporters of Superior Farms stood together on the steps of the Denver City and County building on Wednesday to oppose a ballot measure that seeks to close the city’s only slaughterhouse. <\p> Those against Initiative 309 said the measure unfairly targets an employee-owned business, noting its closure would hurt Colorado’s economy. <\p>

A deal may soon be inked to keep two of Denver's pro teams in town for decades to come as part of a real estate development project around the arena where they play. <\p> In exchange for an exemption from building height limits and rezoning for a proposed development surrounding Ball Arena south of downtown, Denver-based Kroenke Sports and Entertainment has agreed to promise that the teams that play at Ball Arena — the Denver Nuggets basketball franchise and the Colorado Avalanche hockey team — will stay until June 30, 2050.<\p>

Young professionals in the Denver area are making a splash and proving that the future of business in Colorado is in more-than-capable hands.<\p> That's why, each year, the Denver Business Journal hosts the 40 Under 40 awards program, shining a spotlight on the area's up-and-coming talent.<\p>

One year after opening its doors, a Denver-based law firm with the mission of "holding the powerful to account" is eyeing more growth and opportunities to make use of its attorneys' business backgrounds.<\p> Since starting from scratch in September 2023, Olson Grimsley has tackled cases including an antitrust lawsuit against Johns Manville, a Denver-based division of the multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, and a mass tort against Mead Johnson Nutrition, manufacturer of infant formula.<\p>

Tiny versions of a Broomfield-based footwear brand's icon clogs are the newest toy coming to McDonald’s Happy Meals later this month.<\p> On and after September 17, customers craving a Happy Meal will receive a mini Crocs keychain in a mini shoe box and a sticker with their food. <\p>

Gold mining giant Newmont Corp. this week struck a deal to sell some of its Australian gold and copper mining assets and raise about $475 million.<\p> The Denver-based company, which is the largest raw gold producer in the world, on Tuesday revealed a deal to sell its Telfer gold, Havieron gold and copper project and other properties in Western Australia to Greatland Gold in a sale expected to close before the end of the year.<\p>

Suburban office submarkets sometimes are perceived as the preferred spot for tenants post-pandemic, largely because of their proximity to existing or potential workers. But a recent analysis by Moody's Analytics Inc. found there's generally more nuance to location decisions than strictly suburban versus urban.<\p> Moody’s looked at 618 U.S. office submarkets and compared central business districts with their respective suburban areas. It found office vacancy remains higher in suburban markets nationally, standing at 21.1% at the end of the second quarter compared to 18.4% in CBDs.<\p>