Arch Raisings Become Social Gatherings Along East Colfax

The East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT) is moving east on Colfax, and some community organizations and business owners are holding parties to celebrate the raising of arches at the new stations.

In early February, the Hudson Street arch was raised outside the La Vista Motel. The parking lot and upper deck were filled with people who wanted to see the work in action.

Denver-based artist Lui Ferrerya created a mural for the stop as part of a public art project for the BRT.

One percent of the construction cost of the project was used to fund the art to be featured on the bus station canopies. Each artist was asked to create three pieces, for a total of 15 designs.

The nearly $300 million effort to improve bus service between downtown Denver and Aurora began in October 2024 on Broadway Street and is moving east toward its scheduled completion near I-225 in 2027.  Local businesses along the route are encouraging people to continue to support their businesses as owners navigate the construction.

A Postage Stamp and Exhibit Honor Nature Photographer

John Fielder’s photographs feature memorable sights around the state. History Colorado is hosting an exhibit of his work, and the U.S. Postal Service has honored that work with a postage stamp.

The exhibit, Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder, will be on display at the museum through January 2027 in celebration of Colorado’s 150 anniversary of statehood this year. The stamp featuring one of his photos is now available.

Fielder died in 2023, following a 50-year career of photographing the state, centering how Colorado landscapes have changed over time.

The exhibit is located in the John Fielder Mezzanine Gallery at the museum.

A New Home for The Food Bank of the Rockies Opens

The Food Bank of the Rockies has officially opened its new facility in east Aurora. A ribbon cutting was held in February for the 270,000-square-foot distribution center.

The building, located at 20600 E. 38th Ave., has increased the space for food storage and tripled the capacity for volunteers.

“We are honored and humbled to open the doors to this incredible new facility,” said Erin Pulling, president and CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies. “This distribution center signifies far more than additional square footage. It represents a more efficient, innovative, and dignified approach to hunger relief. By enhancing our operational efficiencies, we are better equipped than ever to support our network of more than 700 hunger relief partners and the hundreds of thousands of neighbors who rely on us every day. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.”

The Food Bank of the Rockies reported a spike in need due to the furloughed federal employees’ disrupted incomes and a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits going out to recipients in November. One hundred and fifty additional truckloads of food were purchased between the end of October through January this year.

Pulling said the organization is working to “scale up efforts to ensure every person in our community thrives.”

Visit Foodbankrockies.org for volunteer and support information.

Park Hill Volunteer Honored for Her Work

Park Hill resident Terry Platz was honored in February with the 2026 Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer award through Spark the Change Colorado. Platz also received a proclamation from the Denver mayor’s office declaring February 9 as “Terry Platz Day.”

Platz was recognized for her work with Canine Partners of the Rockies, a group that raises and trains service dogs for Coloradans living with disabilities and facility dogs, which provide comfort and support in local schools, hospitals, and veterans clinics. She has raised five service and facility dogs.

Kyle Lephart, executive director of the non-profit, said Platz “goes above and beyond” to help them out in various ways.

The Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer award is named for the community leader and attorney who was a champion for civil rights. He died in 1986.

Monthly Ward 1 Council Meetings

Ward 1 Aurora city council member Gianina Horton began her monthly meetings in late January. At the first of those meetings, residents of northwest Aurora filled a room at the Moorhead Rec Center, some with notebooks in hand and questions ready.

“This is my first time meeting many of you, and I’m really excited to get to work right now making sure that Ward I is well represented, well advocated for, and (providing) all the things that we need and want and desire,” Horton told the crowd.

Ninety-plus minutes later, some attendees were still holding onto their questions, telling Horton after the meeting they didn’t have a chance to be heard because presentations took up most of the time. Her promise was to allow for more time for questions in future meetings.

Those presentations focused on the new Aurora Downtown Development Authority and the use of drones by the Aurora Police Department.

The process of forming the Aurora DDA board was underway, and Aurora Deputy City Manager Laura Perry invited residents to apply.

There are restrictions on who can be on the board. It is open to people who live in, own a business in, or work in the district, which stretches along Colfax from Yosemite St. on the western end, E. 16th Ave. to the north, the Fitzsimons Urban Renewal Area to the east, and E. 14th Ave. to the south.

The DDA presentation was followed by a conversation about the use of drones by Aurora Police for tactical support and searches. Commander Patrick Shaker, who oversees the Drone as First Responder Program, said the drones are “shaving off minutes” in response time by officers.

In the future, he said, there will be six drone platform sites throughout the city, covering 70% to 80% of the city. Currently, one of the platforms is along Colfax Avenue and is being used to help patrol the area. A video shown by Shaker featured the arrest of a car theft suspect using the drone overhead.

But residents at the meeting had questions about privacy and how the drones would be used. Shaker said drone video is kept for 90 days unless needed in a criminal case.

The February meeting, scheduled after publication, was expected to focus on small business.

Both Horton and at-large council member Alli Jackson live in Ward I, which includes the Aurora part of Central Park, Original Aurora, University of Colorado Anschutz, and the Aurora Cultural Arts District. They encouraged residents to reach out with questions: ghorton@auroragov.org and ajackso@auroragov.org.

Openings and Closings

OPENING

Bowl and Kettle: A small chef-made, freeze- dried meal business. bowlandkettle.com. Kitchen moved to Park Hill.

Denver Café & Kava: 5501 E. Colfax Ave. Opening end of March.

Recovering Hipster: Moved from Stanley Marketplace to 2940 E. Colfax Ave.

Encanto Taqueria Y Cantina: Eastbridge Town Center, 10155 E. 29th Dr. Opening in March.

CLOSING

Iron & Resin and B Fresh Gear: in Stanley Marketplace, 2501 N. Dallas St.

B Fresh moving to a new location.

Machete Tequila & Tacos: 3750 E. Colfax Ave. (other locations are open)