Colfax bar owner blames bus rapid transit construction after Denver flooding causes an estimated $30,000 in damage

An East Colfax Avenue bar owner says construction tied to Denver's Bus Rapid Transit project contributed to severe flooding during a summer storm on Friday, causing an estimated $30,000 in damage and forcing the business to temporarily close.

Sudhir Kudva, owner of Squire Lounge, said the flooding was unlike anything he has experienced in his 22 years of operating the bar.

 "We've never had that problem before, and it didn't even rain that much yesterday," Kudva said.

Kudva believes construction along Colfax Avenue blocked nearby storm drains, sending runoff toward the building and into the basement.

"They took out the clay soil and put in soil cells, and we haven't had a lot of changes here, so we never noticed anything until last night," he said.

The flooding damaged equipment and submerged beer, other beverages, and collapsed a wall, forcing the bar to throw away inventory. Kudva estimates the losses at about $30,000.

"If every time it rains, we have three feet of water in the basement, the foundation is going to collapse, and the building won't be structurally sound anymore," Kudva said. "Then we can't be open."

Kudva said the flooding is affecting more than just his business.

"This is our livelihood," he said. "We employ 16 people. They rely on this place for tips and paychecks, so the city can't just say, 'It's not our problem,' and walk away. They need to figure it out."

The bar plans to sell its remaining inventory before closing temporarily for repairs and cleanup.

CBS Colorado reached out to Denver officials and the Colorado Department of Transportation for comment but has not yet received a response.

Design plans for the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project show new soil cells and trees planned outside Squire Lounge. Kudva said he wants city officials to investigate whether those changes contributed to the flooding.

"I need the city to reach out to me to figure this out, not just for me, but for everybody else on Colfax," he said.

Following the publication of this story, Nancy Kuhn, Director of Denver's Department of Transportation & Infrastructure, shared the following statement:

In the coming days, Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will take a closer look at the effects of Friday's storm on East Colfax Avenue.  
At this time, we have no confirmation that our BRT project was connected to the flooding at Squire Lounge.  What we know is that: there is no open construction at that site currently; the soil cell they are referencing (the 4x4 opening with a tree) is a closed system, capped with concrete, and unlikely to be the source.  
We've not yet had a chance to look at how much rain fell at this location in what period of time, but we know this location on East Colfax Avenue is a natural low spot in Denver, with an elevated risk of flooding during large storm events.  Note that in many parts of East Denver, the existing and historic storm drainage system is undersized, and we've been making significant annual investments toward upgrading the capacity of our stormwater systems to capture runoff and convey it safely to the South Platte River.    
In the meantime, we will ask our construction contractor to ensure the stormwater pipes at this location are working optimally in their existing configuration.