Englewood Herald 0513

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May 13, 2021

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

EnglewoodHerald.net

VOLUME 101 | ISSUE 10

New leader coming to community college Dr. Stephanie Fujii understands the struggles of non-traditional students BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

economic engine — in 1974, it raked in just over half of Englewood’s total sales tax revenue. It functioned as a community center that still stirs fond memories in Englewood residents today. But competition from new malls like Southwest Plaza led to a decline, and after a late-1990s demolition, the site was redeveloped into today’s CityCenter Englewood shopping area, which stretches from Santa Fe Drive to Elati Street

Dr. Stephanie Fujii wasn’t always sure college was right for her. But when she takes the helm of Arapahoe Community College as its new president on July 12, she says it’s exactly where she wants to be. “I was an average student in high school,” said Fujii, currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. “I went Fujii to college and struggled. I failed college algebra three times. I didn’t believe in myself, and I prepared to drop out.” But when she went to faculty advisers, they encouraged her to believe in herself and hold herself accountable. Though she still switched her major a few times, the sense of belonging she developed showed her what college can do for struggling people. In the years that followed, Fujii earned degrees in communications and counseling at the University of

SEE CITYCENTER, P18

SEE COLLEGE, P3

The west end of the CityCenter Englewood development, looking east. One of Englewood’s main retail hubs, it may undergo a COURTESY PHOTO large redevelopment in coming years.

CityCenter plan reimagines historic site Englewood hopes to add hotel, office, residential spaces near city hall BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A chapter in Englewood history may soon close if Englewood’s city hall — a remnant of the former Cinderella City mall that once stretched for blocks — sees a plan

to replace the building with residential space, likely apartments. It’s one possibility in a wideranging plan to economically boost CityCenter Englewood, the city’s retail hub that’s fighting a decline fueled partly by increasing online shopping. Two decades ago, crews demolished the Cinderella City mall of more than 1 million square feet that had been built on Englewood’s former city park area. After opening in 1968 amid much media hype, the mall became an

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 23

PUTTING PEN TO PLACES

Comic artist sketches local haunts P14


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