Volume 52, Issue No. 3
March 2013
A Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Publication
The Signs They Are a-Changin’
A grant from OED and support from the ‘Fax Partnership is helping businesses to beautify east Colfax one storefront at a time
consisting of an architect, an urban designer and a business owner, reviews each submission, often providing professional feedback to help an applicant Last year, the ‘Fax Partnership, improve their design within their buda nonprofit organization working get constraints. to support the revitalization of East Colfax, launched a pilot façade grant The façade grant program is just program which awarded $10,000 one of many ‘Fax Partnership’ endeavin grants to businesses from Coloors. Founded in 2006 by area residents rado Boulevard to Yosemite Street for and property owners under the guidtheir storefront beautification efforts. ance of then Councilwoman Marcia This February, the program received Johnson, the organization’s goal is to $30,000 from the Denver Office of forge relationships that encourage East Economic Development to keep the Colfax revitalization. program going. Today, the ‘Fax Partnership’ “I spent $4,000 and received Contributed Photo/ ‘Fax Partnership’ board of directors is comprised of Coltells me it looks really great,” restaurant owner Ibrahim Daleh says of his new sign, 1,750 from the program, which was “Everybody which he was able to afford through the ‘Fax Partnership’ Façade Grant program. “It’s visible, fax business owners as well as residents great,” said Ibrahim Daleh, owner of it’s much more organized than the one I had before and it’s much nicer.” The program will continue this year with a goal to reach 15 more businesses along East Colfax from neighborhoods surrounding the Phoenician Kabob, a MediterraColfax—Park Hill, Mayfair, Historic nean restaurant at the corner of Colfax Montclair, East Montclair, Bellevue-Hale and Lowry. All of the surand Ivy. “Believe me, if it was not for the grant money, it would have rounding RNO’s are also members of the Fax Partnership. been difficult to even go for it.” Since 2006, the ‘Fax Partnership has: recruited businesses, With this year’s grant, the ‘Fax Partnership will award up to 15 façade projects, and the West Colfax Business Improvement Dis- including Weisco Motor Car and Marzyck Fine Foods; facilitated trict was awarded an identical grant to do the same. In addition, up development, like Phoenix on the ‘Fax, the new mixed-use develto $100,000 in loan funds will be offered by the Mile High Comopment at Colfax and Poplar; and supported existing businesses, munity Loan Fund for property owners undertaking larger projects. through district branding and marketing, educational workshops, Funds may only be spent on exterior materials – paint, lighting, aw- crime and graffiti response, access to financing, and networking opnings and windows – and the applicant must match the funds with portunities. their own money. Last year, the $10,000 in grants spurred more than This year, the organization is focused on how the ‘Fax district $80,000 worth of improvements to East Colfax businesses. can become a more desirable consumer destination. The strategic “The goal here is to invest targeted public funds to incentivize plan includes a retail market study to seek out retail gaps, a survey of larger private improvements,” said ‘Fax Partnership’s Executive Dineighbors, business and property owner outreach, and organizing to rector Hilarie Portell. “And those improvements add up – people make physical improvements to the streetscape. start to notice positive changes, spruced up buildings and a sense of “It really is Denver’s main street, and should be a regular stop for forward movement. That momentum speaks volumes to other busipeople living in surrounding neighborhoods,” Portell said. “There’s nesses or developers thinking of investing in East Colfax Avenue.” a lot to do, but much enthusiasm on Colfax. The ball is rolling, we Portell says that the response from Colfax businesses has been great. “You’ve never met a nicer group of people, really committed to just have to keep on it!” Colfax Avenue and serving the surrounding neighborhoods.” For more information and to register for The Fax Partnership’s Grant applicants must turn in formal applications that include proposed project details. A professional Design Review Committee, monthly e-newsletter, visit thefaxdenver.com.
By Erin Vanderberg Editor
DPS Begins Community Process on Area Middle Schools
Parents’ concerns: boundaries, space availability and co-location By, Lynn Kalinauskas GPHC Education Chair Following the decision to phase-out Smiley Middle School within the next two years, Denver Public Schools held its first Greater Park Hill/Stapleton Community Meeting in Smiley’s cafeteria on February 6. The vast room was packed, with many people standing for the two hour meeting. This was the first in a series of meetings intended to give the community a chance to voice its ideas, wants and concerns about middle school programs in the Greater Park Hill and Stapleton communities. At issue is not only the program that will replace Smiley but also the configuration of Park Hill’s neighborhood school boundary. Tom Boasberg, DPS Superintendent, who was present at the meeting, explained that DPS’ “best thinking” at this time would be for Park Hill and Stapleton to have “one community enrollment zone” for middle school. That is, the two neighborhoods would have priority to choice into five schools: McAuliffe in the Smiley building on Holly Street, the new middle school that will replace McAuliffe at its present location, a new school to be built in Stapleton north of I-70, Denver School of Science and Technology-Stapleton and Bill Roberts. With the exception of DSST-Stapleton, Boasberg said most families would be able to choice into their preferred school.
If the expanded school boundary becomes a reality, Park Hill residents would have to choice their children into these five schools (or other preferred schools) with no guarantee of obtaining a first choice. The superintendent also noted that transportation would be provided but did not offer any details about transportation logistics. Boasberg insisted that East High School would remain within Park Hill’s boundary for high school: “Let me say that even stronger, repeat it: There are NO plans to change the East High School boundary.” It remains unclear whether these meetings are to gauge the community’s interest or resistance to the proposal and the extent to which community voices will be taken into account when final decisions are made. Nonetheless, both Park Hill and Stapleton residents had questions. One Park Hill parent expressed her interest and welcomed McAuliffe to the neighborhood, while another pointed to DPS’ chronic neglect of Smiley and the desire to see DPS support whatever school came to the Smiley building in the hopes of building a strong middle school for Park Hill. Several Stapleton families expressed frustration that they had bought into the K-8 model presented to them as SwigertMcAuliffe International School only to have that model dismantled and turned into two separate schools. Another Stapleton parent expressed concern about co-locations in general and how a co-location would work at Smiley given that the new school there would share the building with Venture Prep
Neighborhood Safety on GPHC Meeting Agenda District 2 Police Station to host District 2 will host the Greater Park Hill Community’s regular neighborhood meeting on Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the District 2 Police Station’s Community Room, 3921 Holly Street. District 2 Commander Michael Calo, City Councilman Albus Brooks, and representatives from the City Attorney’s and Excise and License offices will be in attendance to discuss a host of issues relating to neighborhood safety on the 2800 block of Fairfax. All are welcome. For more information greaterparkhill.org
The Prodigal Son Initiative, Inc. to Continue Building Communities like Holly Square By, Terrance Roberts Executive Director, Prodigal Son Initiative Last week when I pulled up to my office, one of my young friends from the neighborhood was sitting on his bike waiting for me on the street corner. “Doesn’t it feel good to look over there every day and see your words come to life?” he asked, nodding to Holly Square. I get asked that question all of the time, in various forms, but to have this particular kid ask me made me feel that much better about all we have accomplished. I looked across the street at the Holly Square Peace Courts and the construction of the Nancy P. Anschutz Center – as I do literally 30 times a day – and I shook my head up and down. I simply told him, “Yes it does”, and let him know that any time he wanted to get a good basketball or futsal soccer game going that I was more than willing to accept the challenge. It does feel good to see the construction of a brand new youth center and job training site, and those brand new courts and playgrounds have done wonders for the landscape and quality of life in the Holly Square area. Less crime, community beautification, and community assets to assist the schools – what community would not be proud of these accomplishments? After the arson in 2008 that left the Holly Square a burned and battered war zone, many good-hearted, professional community warriors’ stepped up to the call of duty and helped the people of Northeast Park Hill climb from the ashes. The ‘forgotten community’ is now poised to show thousands of other communities the power of collaboration, willpower, resource sharing, and good neighboring principles! These groups were: the Urban Land Conservancy, the Holly Area Redevelopment Project, the Hope Center, Pauline Robinson Library, Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center, the U.S. Post Office, Nancy P. Anschutz Center, Jack A. Vickers Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, Mi Casa Resource Center, G.R.I.D., State Senator Michael Johnston’s office, Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s office, Governor John Hickenlooper’s office, the Denver Foundation, the Prodigal Son Initiative, and all the locally owned businesses still located in the area.
See Smiley Community on page 5
March 2013
INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEXT GPHC MEETING: THURSDAY, MAR. 7 AT 6:30PM
9
Guide to Park Hill Summer Camps
14
Blockworker Tom Jensen on Neighborliness
See Prodigal Son on page 4
15
Community Garage Sale: April 27