1) Lucky’s Market Breaks Ground in Lowry

The groundbreaking ceremony for the natural foods grocer Lucky’s Market in Lowry was held Thursday, April 25. Store opening is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2020. Lucky’s is the anchor tenant in The Boulevard at Lowry, a 140,000 square foot mixed use development that will offer retail, restaurant and office space.

2) Beeler Park to Get a Panda Express

The family-owned Panda Express restaurant, which started in Pasadena California in 1973 and now has over 2,000 stores in six countries, will be opening a restaurant in the retail development at 56th and Central Park Blvd. Architect Eric Abein says the owners are strong believers in personal development and leadership for their staff. They also team up with local schools for fundraising events in their stores. The building will face 56th (though not accessible directly from 56th), between the gas station on the corner of 56th and Central Park Blvd., and the retail building just east of them. Their hours will be 10am to 10pm (they don’t serve breakfast). Their plan is to start construction in October and open in Feb. 2020.

3) Beeler Park Also to Get a Taco Bell

A Taco Bell is being planned for the one-acre parcel at E. 56th and Beeler, just south of Prestige Academy. If all goes according to plan, they will have a three-month construction schedule and they’d “love to open in December.” Their hours will be 7am to 2am.

4) Kappa Senior Apartments at Northfield and Central Park Blvds.

The non-profit organization Kappa Housing says they will start their 13-month construction schedule in September 2019 with plans for occupancy in October 2020. The building, located on the southwest corner of Northfield and Central Park Blvds., is for seniors 62 and older or for people who are disabled. The 70-unit building will have 51 one-bedroom units and 19 two-bedroom units that will be 600 sq. ft. and 875 sq. ft., respectively. The apartments are income-qualified, for those with income that is 30% to 60% of area median income (AMI). Amenities will include a communal kitchen, a private dining room, a fitness center, a computer center, extra wide hallways for taking indoor walks during winter weather. Landscaping will include communal planting beds, shaded outdoor seating areas for picnics and cooking outside, and a dog park.

5) Denver Discovery To Stay Open for 2019-2020 School Year

Last month’s article about Denver Discovery School indicated there was some uncertainty about the school remaining open in the 2019-2020 school year due to low student population. On April 18, Superintendent Susana Cordova wrote a letter to families confirming the school will remain open next year for grades 6,7 and 8. The letter said, “DDS staff and community are working to select a transitional leader who will guide the school through the upcoming year…”

Scott Esserman, one of DDS’ founding families who, along with other community members, has been active in the school’s re-envisioning process, says DDS will be a community school with wraparound services, a teacher-led leadership model, and project-based learning. He says, “We anticipate being close to an enrollment of 215 in 2019-20.

6) Rep. DeGette Addresses Questions and Issues on the Subject of Impeachment

As talk of impeachment increased following the release of the redacted Mueller Report, the Front Porch asked Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01) to share her thoughts on the issue. “Impeachment and a declaration of war…are the most serious things that Congress can undertake. I don’t think you can undertake an impeachment investigation for political reasons or because it might be interesting. I think it’s really Congress’ duty to determine if President Trump engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors,” said the Democrat who has represented Colorado’s First District in Washington, D.C. for 22 years.

“The [House] Judiciary Committee announced that they are having really aggressive hearings with [Attorney General William] Barr, [Special Counsel Robert] Mueller and [former White House Counsel Don] McGahn…to get the documents and the unredacted report, and I think that’s the first step to making this impeachment determination. I think we have a constitutional duty to do that.”

When asked whether there was a danger of impeachment hearings strengthening the President’s base of support before the next election, DeGette said “I don’t think you can make a determination based on a political assessment. If in fact he obstructed justice and Congress determines that’s a high crime and misdemeanor, I think we have to go forward….On the face of it this seems so much worse than Watergate….You have a president who is attempting to undermine an investigation as to whether his campaign colluded with a foreign government to influence the election results. And that’s very very serious.”

7) Enterprise Car Rental Under Construction in North Stapleton

In July 2018, plans for an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch were announced in NE Updates. That 2,300-square-foot business is now being built at 5059 Beeler St. in north Stapleton. The Enterprise plans are for a facility that can support up to 47 vehicles and a car wash that uses biodegradable soap. This location will not include repair facilities.

8) 190 Apartments Coming to Beeler Park

Planning is well underway now, and groundbreaking for Brookfield’s Aster Beeler Park Apartments is expected in November 2019 with the first apartments ready for occupancy in late summer 2020. The last units will be completed and ready for occupancy in 2021. The 190-apartment complex will be 52% one-bedroom, 42% two-bedroom and 5% three-bedroom units.

Parking will be available at a little less than 1.5 spaces per unit, with half of those being garages. These are all market rate units (none are income-qualified). The north border of the complex is E. 57th Ave. and the east border is Chester Way, with entrances on 56th and 57th. Amenities include a community garden, a kids play area, outdoor gym equipment, a lawn frisbee area, outdoor grilling patio areas and maybe a dog park.

9) What’s the big construction project on the east side of Central Park Blvd at 47th?

It’s a Physical Therapy Hospital project—and we’ll get information about it for the June issue.

Neighbors Show Their Sympathy

Neighbors left flowers and chalk messages of sympathy on the street after a man commited suicide on the 26th Ave. bridge in mid-April. Denver Police knocked on doors at Stapleton homes nearby to talk to neighbors and address any fears or anxiety following the sad death of a man who was much loved by his family. The police passed out crisis counseling resource information including Colorado Crisis Services 1-844-493-TALK; Denver Children’s Advocacy Center 303-825-3850; and the Denver Victim Assistance Unit 720-913-6035.