1) The CO Spot Opens in Shops at Northfield

A new store offering customized t-shirt and embroidery services has opened in the Shops at Northfield. The CO Spot uses screen printing methods that enable customers to design their own shirts. The CO Spot also offers pre-made shirts that display artwork or written messages, and embroidery services for stitching logos on team jerseys or company uniforms.

2) Homelessness Initiative Attracts Volunteers, Critics

Mayor Mike Johnston’s House1000 plan continues to draw criticism from many residents in Northeast Denver who think their neighborhoods are being asked to house too many people in hotels near I-70. But the initiative has also attracted more than 250 volunteers who have helped unhoused people move into transitional housing.

Johnston pledged to move 1,000 people off the streets and into temporary housing by the end of 2023. The City announced on Dec. 19 that 300 people from three encampments were moved into shelters in the first two weeks of December, bringing the total number of sheltered people to more than 800.

Park Hill resident Ellen Reath was one of the volunteers who went to the Radisson Hotel at 48th and Bannock Street to help people move in. She said it was an amazing experience. “They were so excited to be off the streets. One woman told me that this was the first time she’d ever had hope,” says Reath. “It really opens your eyes and opens your heart.”

3) Brookfield Properties Prepares to Break Ground

Construction of a mixed-use project on one of the largest available lots in Central Park will soon be underway. Located by the Credit Union at 40th Ave. and Central Park Blvd., Brookfield Properties will provide residential and commercial features along with a large park. The northwest portion of the lot will provide approximately 700 units of residential housing, including rowhomes and apartments. One-third of the units will be designated as affordable to rent or own, with the rest priced at standard market rates.

The new development will include a commercial retail center, with storefronts and restaurants positioned on the southeast section next to Central Park Blvd. Brookfield also intends to place a grocery store on this section and is currently talking to major chains that have expressed an interest in the project. Additionally, a public park will be cultivated on the southwest section that stretches to the Sand Creek Greenway Trail, offering views of the mountains.

4) Five-Alarm Fire on East Colfax

A five-alarm fire tore through a five-story apartment building that was under construction at Colfax and Peoria Street on Dec. 16. Fire crews from six agencies battled the flames for three days after the blaze erupted. No one was in the unoccupied building at the time of the fire, according to Aurora Fire Rescue (AFR). A portion of the building collapsed and officials used drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to look for hot spots because the structure was too unstable for crews to enter. The Colfax and Peoria fire happened just two days after another fire burned an apartment complex under construction on Addison Court in Aurora. AFR public information officer Carlos Oropeza said he had no information about whether the two fires were linked, but the Addison Court fire “is being investigated as a criminal act.” The cause of the Colfax fire was still under investigation at press time.

5) Leadership Positions for New School Board Members

Less than a month after voters elected three new members to the Denver Public School Board, an internal election among the DPS board immediately elevated those new members to significant leadership positions. John Youngquist is now serving as secretary, Kimberlee Sia has taken over as treasurer, and Marlene De La Rosa is leading as vice president. Critics who lamented the dysfunction of the past board hope that this change in leadership can improve the performance of the current members.

6) District 5 Gets a New Police Station

The District 5 police unit that serves Northeast Denver moved into a new station in December after the former station reached 280 percent capacity in recent years. The old station had limited areas for parking, detectives had to share desks for assignments, the officers ran out of lockers in the locker room, and the facility did not have designated areas for an evidence room or crime lab.

The new 34,000 square-foot facility provides a personal desk for every detective, a new gym for all of the officers, and a co-ed locker room that contains 180 lockers and 13 changing rooms. Arraigning criminals will also be more effective, as officers can now bring prisoners in through a closed garage rather than an outdoor parking lot, and the additional cells can now hold eight prisoners at the station instead of just three at a time.

The new station also offers upgraded equipment, an evidence room, a 911 communication center, and a crime lab with a vehicle processing bay. Additionally, a community meeting room in the new station accommodates 224 seats and features multiple projectors that will enable the facility to hold meetings with residents or host events for organizations. The new station is still located in the Montbello neighborhood at 12025 East 45th Avenue, and the $19 million cost of the project was funded by the Elevate Denver Bond program.

7) Bike Lockers Available at Central Park Station

The Central Park RTD Station has become the first location in Denver to offer “smart lockers” where riders can store their bikes. Rather than using traditional locks that can be strapped to the racks but that can be easily broken by thieves, riders can now store their bikes in secure lockers that can only be opened with an app on their phones. The lockers are free for two days, and the station currently has eight lockers that include two larger ones for cargo bikes.

8) Wings Over the Rockies Opens Wright Bros. Exhibit

The Wings Over the Rockies museum opened a new Wright Brothers exhibit on Dec. 17 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the first flight that was propelled by Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1903. The Wright Flyer simulator has an innovative projector, a massive screen, and wrap-around walls that provide visitors with a realistic experience of flying the first airplane. The exhibit will also provide interactive displays and historical items to convey information about the Wright Brothers and their significant accomplishment.

Front Porch photos by Christie Gosch