Happy Friday, Boulder. As bitter cold weather moves in this weekend, we hope you’re staying safe and prepared. The city is opening a 24-hour emergency warming shelter to support the most vulnerable.

Leading today’s edition: Boulder City Council last night approved a four-story expansion of the St. Julien Hotel, paving the way to add 39 extended-stay suites, a nonprofit meeting space and a pedestrian walkway connecting Canyon and Walnut. The project, which will exceed 55 feet tall, passed in a 6-3 vote following opposition from neighbors and others over views, traffic impact and other concerns.

Also in the spotlight: The BVSD Board of Education is considering approval of Grove Elementary, a proposed charter school focused on inclusivity for neurodiverse and special education students. While board members have applauded its mission, they’ve raised concerns about staffing, budgets and special education funding. A decision is expected next week.

Packed Below the Fold today:

  • County workers unionize 
  • Marshall Together aids LA wildfire survivors
  • Council plans private meeting to address protests and adopts antisemitism resolution
  • CU opens tennis courts to the public
  • Boulder County’s moratorium on large homes takes effect
  • Boulder grants support small businesses, tackle office vacancies
  • Court ruling may boost Boulder’s climate lawsuit, and more!

We’ll see you after the MLK Jr. holiday. If you’re looking for a way to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights leader, check out local events and opportunities to reflect and engage below.

– Brooke, reporter

Boulder City Council approves controversial St. Julien Hotel expansion

The hotel plans to add 39 extended-stay suites and meeting spaces, sparking concerns from neighboring residents and calls for greater community access to the site. Continue reading…

Grove Elementary aims to become BVSD’s first new charter school in decades, focused on neurodiverse students

The application is being reviewed by the Boulder Valley Board of Education and will be decided at a special meeting on Jan. 21. Continue reading…

Boulder to open 24-hour emergency homeless shelter for weekend cold snap

The East Boulder Community Center will serve as a temporary warming shelter as subzero temperatures are forecast. Continue reading…

Cold snap hits Boulder: Snow and teens by tonight

Heading out of town this weekend? Don’t forget to keep your home warm and your taps dripping — it’s going to get cold in Boulder. Temperatures will drop to 12 tonight, plunge below zero Saturday night and stay frigid through Tuesday. Expect 4-8 inches of snow tonight into Saturday morning, with another 1-3 inches possible Saturday.

Enjoy today’s relative warmth while it lasts, with highs in the mid-40s.

Boulder County workers vote to unionize, citing job security and workplace concerns

Boulder County employees have voted to unionize, forming what they say is the largest group to do so since Colorado’s SB22-230 granted collective bargaining rights to county workers in 2022, employees announced yesterday. In a vote of 442 to 221, the 1,419 eligible workers chose to join the Boulder County Employees Union – Communications Workers of America (BCEU-CWA).

The union election was prompted by a filing in April 2024, when a group of county employees cited job security, high turnover and work-life balance as key concerns. Boulder County employs more than 2,000 workers. 

“This has been years in the making,” said Brianna Barber, a county employee and union leader, in a news release. “We’re excited to begin bargaining with county leadership to improve working conditions and support the vital services we provide to our community.” Read more on BRL.

Marshall Together mobilizes support for LA wildfire survivors

Marshall Together, a grassroots group formed after the Marshall Fire, is organizing and highlighting efforts to aid those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires:

  • Direct financial aid: Partnering with GoFundMe, the initiative is providing $575 grants to verified wildfire recovery fundraisers.
  • Support for students: A t-shirt campaign is raising funds for Project Camp, a nonprofit creating camps for children whose schools were damaged or destroyed by fires.
  • California Community Foundation: Donations to this Los Angeles-based foundation will help rebuild homes and support wildfire recovery efforts.
  • Local fundraiser: Bambei Brewery is donating proceeds from sales of beers served in Marshall Together commemorative pint glasses.

Boulder council to meet privately over protests, condemns antisemitism

Mayor Aaron Brockett last night requested that councilmembers hold an executive session in the coming weeks to discuss how to manage council meetings in light of recent protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

The request follows repeated disruptions over the past year by protestors urging the council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire. The council has not adopted such a resolution.

Separately, the council adopted a resolution condemning antisemitism, noting that reports of anti-Jewish incidents reached a record high in 2024. “The City Council supports Boulder’s Jewish community and affirms its ongoing commitment to diligently counter anti-Jewish sentiments and hate in all its forms, and to cultivate an inclusive city that celebrates both the individuality and commonality of its people,” the resolution states. Read more on BRL.

CU opens Balch Fieldhouse tennis courts to public amid growing demand

Tennis players in Boulder have a new indoor option: CU opened the courts at its Balch Fieldhouse to the public yesterday.

The courts, which are also home to CU’s women’s tennis team, will be available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations cost $45 during peak hours (6–10 a.m. and 3–9 p.m.) and $35 during off-peak hours. Players can book courts through CUBuffs.com or the Playbypoint app, with advance payment and a signed waiver required. The courts are exclusively for tennis use.

This initiative is part of a broader collaboration between CU Athletics and the City of Boulder to address the community’s growing need for tennis facilities. Plans are also underway to build additional courts at East Boulder Community Park.

The expansion comes at a time when Boulder has seen a decline in available tennis courts. Several courts have been converted for the rising popularity of pickleball or repurposed for other uses, such as the former Millennium Harvest House Hotel site, for CU student housing. Efforts to add courts in Gunbarrel have been shelved due to local opposition.

Boulder County’s moratorium on large homes takes effect

A six-month moratorium on site plan review applications for homes larger than the median square footage in certain unincorporated Boulder County neighborhoods takes effect today, Jan. 17.

County commissioners have said the temporary pause will give county planners time to draft new regulations aimed at reducing the environmental impacts and high costs associated with large homes. Proposed changes are expected to be released in March, according to a county official. 

The moratorium has drawn pushback from property owners, builders, architects and real estate professionals who are concerned about how the freeze will affect their plans and projects. For more context, see our previous reporting on the issue.

Boulder awards grants to help small businesses and tackle office vacancy, high costs

The City of Boulder has awarded more than $840,000 in grants to three projects through its Affordable Commercial Grant Pilot Program. The initiative was created to help small businesses secure affordable commercial space and address the city’s 30% office vacancy rate, which spiked during and after the Covid pandemic due to the shift to remote work. The high vacancy rate has hurt local restaurants and reduced sales tax revenue.

The $850,000 program offers grants of up to $300,000, with additional funding for projects located in the downtown Central Area General Improvement District (CAGID). Grant funds can be used for capital projects or rent subsidies, with the condition that spaces are leased at below-market rates.

This year’s grant recipients include:

  • KGNU: Renovating a 10,000-square-foot community media center at 1720 14th St., which will include affordable space for a café and arts organizations.
  • Top Hat Supply for Journeys: Revitalizing 1721 Pearl St. to create an arts incubator with affordable studios, gallery space and community events.
  • The New Local: Upgrading the heating system at 713 Pearl St. and providing rent subsidies to support women-owned small businesses for at least five years.

U.S. Supreme Court ruling may boost Boulder’s climate lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to let Honolulu’s climate lawsuit proceed in state court this week may strengthen Boulder’s similar case against ExxonMobil and Suncor, CPR reported. Boulder filed its lawsuit in 2018, seeking to hold the companies accountable for misleading the public about climate change and to help cover the costs of local climate-related damages.

The Honolulu case, like Boulder’s, alleges that oil companies deliberately misled the public about the risks of burning fossil fuels. Boulder’s lawsuit, notable for being the first of its kind from an inland community, argues that fossil fuel companies should share the financial burden of climate-related disasters.

Boulder’s case has faced years of legal challenges. In June, the Boulder District Court denied motions to dismiss filed by the oil companies. A February hearing at the Colorado Supreme Court will review the district court’s decision and determine whether Boulder can proceed to discovery — a phase where internal industry documents could reveal crucial evidence, as seen in past tobacco litigation. Boulder Reporting Lab covered this case in 2022. The case is among more than 20 climate lawsuits currently in the courts. 

Quantum Tech Incubator to open in Boulder this year

A new facility to advance quantum technologies is set to open in Boulder’s Flatiron Park this month. The Quantum Incubator, supported by CU Boulder, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and Elevate Quantum, will provide office space and equipment to help young companies bring quantum technology to real-world applications. These include innovations like sensors for detecting illness through breath analysis and secure, hack-proof data networks for long-distance communication.

This initiative is part of Colorado’s strategy to position itself as a global leader in quantum science, supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and state funding through House Bill 1325. Currently, the state’s quantum industry supports approximately 3,000 jobs, but CU Boulder projects that number could triple within the decade.

Correction: Updated description for Motus Theater’s MLK Day event

The City of Boulder’s MLK Day announcement we referenced on Wednesday included outdated information about Motus Theater’s Still We Rise: 3rd Annual Dr. MLK Jr. Performance on Monday, Jan. 20. Below is the updated event description:

Motus Theater’s annual arts-based event, in collaboration with The ReMINDers, aims to inspire action aligned with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision. Join the event at 3 p.m. for an impactful experience. The program features Motus monologues performed by Black storytellers who are transgender, immigrant and/or leaders with lived experience of incarceration.

Performers include Cynthia Randall, Alison Reba, Alexis Miles and others, offering a call to action to build “the beloved community.”

Find more details on MLK events here.

City of Boulder administrative buildings closed Monday

All City of Boulder administrative facilities and Age Well Centers will be closed Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Recreation centers, the Flatirons Golf Course and open space trails will remain open. City parking will be free all day. The Age Well wing of the East Boulder Community Center will be open as an emergency shelter for those in need.

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