Construction Firm Pays Penance For Bid-Rigging Scheme By Funding Tiny Home Village

A new twist on the contemporary corruption scandal.

1 minute read

July 30, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Homelessness

Jim Lambert / Shutterstock

"The organization launching Denver’s second tiny-home village for the homeless has sped up the project with help from an unexpected partner — a construction firm paying penance for its role in the city’s convention center bid-rigging scandal," reports Jon Murray.

The project in question is the Women’s Village at Clara Brown Commons. "When completed this fall on East 37th Avenue near York Street, it will have a cluster of 14 standalone tiny homes and a larger common house with bathrooms, a kitchen, meeting space and other services," according to Murray.

The construction company in question, Mortensen Construction agreed to a settlement with the Colorado State Attorney General that Murray described as unorthodox back in April when the settlement was announced

As for the peculiar route that this project used to secure its financing, Murray catches the story up with the present day in the article this week about the Women's Village: "At first, the intent was that Mortenson and executives involved in the convention center bid would help with a project geared toward the COVID-19 pandemic, such as a field hospital. But the need for such a project receded as hospitalizations declined."

Some of the cities and states dealing with development-related corruption scandals might want to take notice (we're looking at you, Boston, Los Angeles, Toledo, and Ohio). 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020 in The Denver Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA