Revitalizing Arapahoe Square
The Arapahoe Square page of the DURA website is updated on an on-going basis. First time visitors to the page may want to start at the bottom of the page.
Arapahoe Square Preliminary Blight Findings (03/08/10)
Matrix Design Group completed the fieldwork for the Arapahoe Square Blight Study in February. Matrix is still collecting data on the study area; however their preliminary analysis found 10 of the 11 blight factors identified in state statute are present in the area. State statute requires four or more factors to be present in order to make a determination of blight and Matrix found that more than two-thirds of the block in the study area met or exceed this threshold, with some blocks exhibiting as many as eight. The only block not exhibiting any blight factors was the city owned park at California Street and Park Avenue.
Based on these findings Matrix concluded that should DURA and the City decide to move ahead with the creation of an urban renewal area for Arapahoe Square, the area would meet the statutory requirement. Answering this threshold question is the first step in the process to implementing a revitalization strategy for the area as called for in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan. The next step is development of a small area plan, which is to be developed as part of the Northeast Downtown Planning effort. The City's Community Planning and Development department is scheduled to begin at a community meeting scheduled for March 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the EXDO Event Center located at 1399 35th Street. More information on the Northeast Downtown Planning effort can be found at www.denvergov.org/northeastdowntown. Click on the map above to view the preliminary blight findings.
Arapahoe Square Property Owners Meeting (11/19/09)
DURA held a meeting with property owners in the Arapahoe Square neighborhood on November 10 at the Denver Ventures school to provide information regarding the proposed Arapahoe Square Urban Renewal Area and associated blight study. The meeting agenda included presentations by the Downtown Denver Partnership on the 2007 Downtown Denver Area Plan and its recommendations for the Arapahoe Square neighborhood, by DURA on the urban renewal process, by Matrix Design on the blight assessment process, and the City's Community Planning and Development Department on the upcoming Northeast Downtown Small Area Planning Process. Copies of the presentation can be downloaded below:
2007 Downtown Area Plan Presentation
Arapahoe Square Urban Renewal Overview Presentation
Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan Presentation
A list of questions asked at the meeting and the responses to them can be downloaded below:
Revitalizing Arapahoe Square (11/2/09)
Denver's recently completed 2007 Downtown Area Plan identifies the Arapahoe Square neighborhood as an underutilized area that provides tremendous opportunity for redevelopment and revitalization. In an effort to help facilitate revitalization of Arapahoe Square, the City and County of Denver and the Downtown Denver Partnership have included the area in their upcoming small area planning process for Northeast Downtown and have asked DURA to consider establishment of an Urban Redevelopment Area for the neighborhood.
The City's Northeast Downtown planning effort is expected to get underway before the end of the year and take approximately one year to complete. More information about that process and opportunities for community input can be found at: http://www.denvergov.org/planning/PlansinProgress/tabid/431858/Default.aspx.
The first step in determining the feasibility of setting an URA for Arapahoe Square is to determine if the area is blighted. DURA has contracted with a consultant to perform a blight study and area property owners have been notified. For a map of the study area, please see below.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of the year. If it is determined that the area is blighted, DURA must determine if an URA is to be created through the adoption of an Urban Redevelopment Plan to help affect revitalization of the area. Additional public meetings will be held for input on the redevelopment plan and the redevelopment plan must be approved by the DURA Board of Commissioners and the Denver City Council.
For answers to specific questions about the potential Arapahoe Square URA or to be added to DURA's distribution list for any public meetings on Arapahoe Square either email arapahoesquare@renewdenver.org or call 303-606-4828 and leave a message.