Denver Theatre District

In September 2006, David Ehrlich and Patrick Woods began representation of the City and County of Denver Theatre and Arenas Division (T/A) in creating and obtaining public approval of the Downtown Denver Theatre District (Theatre District).

The DTD invests over $1M annually in art and light-based infrastructure in downtown Denver.  David Ehrlich is in charge of all elements of the DTD and report to a stakeholder board that includes members of city government, residents and key downtown stakeholders like the Downtown Denver Partnership.

FinWater's efforts included: 

(i) creation of presentation materials telling the “story” of Theatre District; (ii) leading the effort for private and public sector acceptance and support of Theatre District; (iii) leading the effort of obtaining approval of the City and County of Denver agencies and City Council for a significant re-zoning of Downtown Denver to allow for the implementation of Theatre District; (iv) drafting the governance documents for Theatre District; (v) implementing the arts support generated by Theatre District, (vi) obtaining a signage partner to create the multi-million dollar infrastructure for Theatre District; and (vii) building the interactive assets of Theatre District.

Atlanta Arts and entertainment district

In 2017, Finwater helped Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) form the Atlanta Arts and Entertainment District (AAED). The AAED has invested millions of dollars into downtown Atlanta local arts and culture since inception. Finwater worked for CAP for over two years on all elements of creating the District.

City of Baltimore, Maryland

In 2023, Finwater helped the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPB), the downtown BID, create the legal framework for the launch of their signage district.  The district provides free signage time to local arts groups and businesses and also economically supports four other arts districts around Baltimore. 

City of San Jose, California

For two years starting in 2019, Finwater worked with the City of San Jose developing signage sites and creating an RFP for a media company partner. In 2025, San Jose announced that they were authorizing downtown signage on five public buildings expected to generate tens of millions of dollars for the City.

City of West Hollywood, California

In 2021 and 2022, David Ehrlich was a member of an evaluation committee that reviewed signage applications for the Sunset Strip outdoor media program.  The proposals were among the highest quality outdoor media installations in the country.

City of Salt lake city, utah

In 2022, Finwater was hired by Reagan Outdoor, the City of Salt Lake and the Grand Boulevards Consortium to develop a plan to upgrade decades old static signage to modern led signage along the Grand Boulevards leading into and out of downtown.  That upgrade program is still ongoing.

City of san antonio, texas

Starting in 2022, Finwater worked for two years developing the San Antonio Digital Media Arts Program along with a local lobbyist. We created and socialized the concept, then worked with stakeholders and City staff to create a two year pilot program that launched in September 2025. Finwater worked on behalf of Outfront Media and led all aspects of the program, including public presentations at community meetings and testifying before city council.

City of Broomfield, Colorado

In 2008-09, FinWater represented the City of Broomfield (Broomfield) in its analysis and negotiation with various venue management companies to operate a multi-purpose events center.

The representation included (i) a nationwide research memorandum reviewing comparable lease and ownership examples; (ii) creation of an RFP and management of the operator RFP process; (iii) lead negotiation and drafting of a Management Agreement between Broomfield and Anschutz Entertainment Group and Kroenke Sports Enterprises; (iv) consultation on bond documentation in connection with the operations of the event center; and (v) public testimony at the Broomfield City Council regarding the Management Agreement.

This representation resulted in the successful negotiation of a Management Agreement that included elements related to rent, revenue sharing, community development and naming rights.

Kroenke Sports Enterprises

Shortly after joining Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE) in 2001, David Ehrlich led the Pepsi Center rezoning project, which was critical for Pepsi Center’s growth as an entertainment destination.

To achieve the re-zoning, Mr. Ehrlich worked closely with KSE’s advisors to guide the project through the City Council process, meeting with both public agencies and local neighborhood groups.  The efforts in building support for the re-zoning were necessary as the rezoning enabled KSE to host the Denver Grand Prix and build a new amphitheatre, City Lights Pavilion. This effort culminated in City Council passing the rezoning enabling KSE to expand its entertainment offerings as well as unlock significant value to its underlying land.

grandoozy music festival

In 2018, David Ehrlich was the executive producer for a large music festival that took place on a public golf course in Denver, CO. Grandoozy, produced by Superfly (the company that created Outside Lands in San Francisco), hosted tens of thousands of people for a three-day festival.  Finwater led all community outreach efforts for what was initially a highly controversial project.  Through 12 months of work, we created local relationships that led to virtually unanimous community support for the festival.