Celebrating 5 Years of ECM!

Neighborhood Spotlight: Westwood

Westwood
Before the depression of 1929, Westwood was little more than rolling prairie land. Westwood developed during the depression when times became hard and cheap land was the only land people could afford. It became a shack town, trailer town and tent town. Building lots were sold for $1 down and 50 cents a week. Then came World War II, and shack town became boom town. The Denver Ordinance Plant (present day Federal Center) was built west of Denver. Westwood was near the plant and land still was comparatively cheap, with building restrictions almost non-existent. Arms plant workers flocked to the town of Westwood. Houses, some below Denver's standards, were rapidly built. In 1946, lots were selling on West Alameda Avenue for $10,000 a pair. Businesses increased from corner groceries to swank road houses, several with gross sales of $100,000 a year. The growth was too fast for any real community planning.

History

P.T. Barnum of "The Barnum & Bailey Circus" bought 760 acres of undeveloped land just west of Denver and platted a subdivision in 1882. He paid $11,000 for the land. From this project, some years later, another development company continued where P.T. Barnum left off, subdividing farther south along Morrison Road. The following is taken from a 1946 newspaper article describing the town of Westwood. From these two projects grew "one of the most thriving and upcoming little cities in the west... Westwood, Colorado."

Today

A dense, predominately single family residential neighborhood in southwest Denver with a population of 15,486, in Westwood 81% percent of residents are Latino, 11% are white, 4.3% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 1% is Native American, and 2% is African American. A large proportion of the population is recently arrived, mostly Mexican, immigrants. More than 25% of residents do not speak English, and over 60% of births are to foreign mothers. In 2000, 24% of residents had not lived at their address the previous year. The average annual wage in Westwood in 2000 is less than 1/3 of Denver’s average, at $11,336, as compared to Denver’s average annual wage of $37,406. Over 87% of children attending Westwood public schools qualified for free and reduced lunch in 2007. The neighborhood has many assets, including rich and unique cultural diversity. Nearly one-third (32.9%) of Westwood’s population is under age 18. A committed team of diverse residents and organizations are working tirelessly to promote healthy eating and active living and economic opportunity in Westwood. The coalition has diverse participants from multiple sectors, strong resident participation, and a resident vision for a walkable, bikeable, active community.

More Info: The Piton Foundation - Westwood 

 

 

Neighborhood Spotlight: Swansea

Swansea
Swansea and Elyria have their own unique histories, yet the two neighborhoods share common historical features. In the mid-19th century, Denver was a miners' town, and settlements began to form around it. The Swansea-Elyria area was the site of two of these early settlements. People and industry liked the area because it was close to the South Platte River and its land was flat. Among those attracted by the expanding economic opportunities were Slavic immigrants who settled in Swansea and Elyria in the mid-19th century, when the two neighborhoods were part of Arapahoe County.

 

History

The Swansea neighborhood was apparently named by early settlers after the mining seaport town of Swansea in Wales. Swansea was established around 1870, after the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were completed. At that time, a demand for smelter facilities arose. Until then, gold had been extracted from ore at the smelter in Black Hawk, Colorado. To satisfy demand, a company was organized and a large parcel of land in the area now called Swansea was acquired at the junction of the two railroads. Mismanagement closed the Swansea smelter after a few short years, and the facility was abandoned. About 1875, the Village granted a right-of-way for a steam railroad in Swansea. However, the proposed railroad was never built and the right-of-way grant was repealed by the Swansea Town Council in 1881. Although the annexations of this area to Denver are complicated and involved, most of present-day Swansea was annexed in 1883 and 1902.

Today

Aside from its large amount of industrial and commercial development, the greatest influence on the Elyria-Swansea area environment has been Interstate 70, which was built directly through both neighborhoods in the early 1960s, despite the objections of area residents and business owners. They opposed the imposing viaduct because, they said, it was an eyesore that would hurt property values. Despite the encroachment of the interstate, the physical character of both Swansea and Elyria has remained basically stable since the end of World War II. Small sections of well-maintained, single-family homes are interspersed with larger areas of commercial and industrial development such as Denver Union Stockyards, Cudahy Meatpacking, Denver Pepsi Cola Bottlers, and numerous other firms.

Source: Wikipedia

More Info: The Piton Foundation - Swansea 

 

 

Neighborhood Spotlight: La Alma/Lincoln Park

La Alma/Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is a neighborhood and public park close to downtown Denver and the location of the Santa Fe Arts District. The neighborhood is one of Denver's oldest and is just to the south of the area where Denver was first settled in the 1850s. Many houses date from about 1900. Although most of the original structures were lost to floods along Cherry Creek, the neighborhood's character today is still shaped by the age of its homes.

History 

La Alma/Lincoln Park is among Denver’s oldest neighborhoods. La Alma/Lincoln Park dates from the settlement of Auraria City, where the Auraria Higher Education Center is presently located. 93% of the residential blocks were developed before 1900, and the remaining 7% developed between 1900 and 1914. 20 structures within the neighborhood are listed in the Denver Inventory as having architectural or historical significance. Additionally, the neighborhood has a residential district on the National Register of Historic Places. That district, located on Kalamath, Lipan, and Mariposa streets between West 13th Avenue and Colfax Avenue, is an example of early Denver's working class neighborhoods. Prior to 1900, only a few sporadic attempts had been made to develop a park system for the growing city. A notable exception to this was the 15 acre site which the city purchased in 1885 and named "Lincoln Park".

 

Today

Today, Lincoln Park (the park itself) serves as the focal point of the neighborhood. It is the site of the La Alma Recreation Center and numerous Mexican-American celebrations and festivities. "La Alma", a Spanish word for "spirit" or "soul," has been joined to the neighborhood's traditional name, so that today it is commonly called "La Alma/Lincoln Park".

 

Source: Wikipedia

More Info: The Piton Foundation

 

 

March Extreme Endeavors: Spring is Approaching

Extreme Community Makeover NewsletterMarch Extreme Endeavors March 2013 In This Issue ECM Neighborhoods The Big Day of Serving ECM Work Day Partners Supplies Drive February Volunteers Quick Links About ECM Contact ECM Donate Help ECM build stronger communities in Denver through your financial support. Checks can be made to: Extreme Community Makeover and sent to: Extreme Community Makeover PO Box 102586 Denver, CO 80250-2586 Greetings! Check out our latest video that tells more about ECM and what we're up to lately. As spring is approaching and we move into the start of regularly scheduled Work Days next month, consider getting your church, company, school, or another group you're connected with involved in ECM! 2013 ECM Video Angela Bomgaars, Executive Director 2013 ECM Work Days The schedule is set for 2013 ECM Work Days, so you can start planning to get a group together on any of the following dates. Dates can also be found on the calendar on our website by clicking here. April 6 - Barnum April 20 - Westwood (The Big Day of Serving) May 4 - Elyria May 18 - West Colfax June 1 - Barnum June 15 - Villa Park June 29 - Swansea July 13 - Westwood July 27 - Globeville August 10 - Barnum August 24 - La Alma/Lincoln Park September 7 - Westwood Septemer 21 - Elyria October 5 - Swansea October 19 - Barnum November 2 - TBD ECM Neighborhoods If you're not sure of the eight target neighborhoods where ECM works, check out the map below. Each area has a detailed description so you can learn more about each of these unique Denver neighborhoods and then get involved in ECM to make a difference in that community! The Big Day of Serving On Saturday, April 20, you have a chance to participate with around 500 other people to make a huge impact in the Westwood neighborhood through The Big Day of Serving! This event is a national event (Denver is one of 15 cities across the country) targeted toward getting youth involved in their community and ECM is the lead organization sponsoring this event in Denver. If you are connected to a group of youth, it would be great to have you join with us. We also have a few more spots available for adults to serve as project leaders. Many Westwood residents are already hard at work identifying projects they would like the volunteers to help with that day, which will include alley clean-ups and beautification, garden planting, graffiti removal, and house painting. The Colorado Rockies are donating tickets to the game that night against the Arizona Diamondbacks as well! There are a limited number of tickets available but the sooner you register, the more likely you will be to receive a ticket to attend the game that night. For more details and to register, click here. Schedule: 7:00 am - Participants check in 8:00 am - Kickoff Rally 8:30 am - Depart for projects 12:00 pm - Lunch at project sites 3:00 pm - Block Party Celebration ECM Work Day Partners One of our goals for each of the 15 Saturday Work Days hosted by ECM this year is to identify a Work Day Partner ($500) and a Food Partner ($250). The Work Day Partnership would pay for dumpster rental and other costs associated with each Work Day. The Food Partnership would provide lunch for all the volunteers and community folks participating each Work Day. For more details and to look at how your church or company could partner with ECM in this way, click here. Supplies Drive ECM is collecting supplies to use on projects this year. Individuals can help with this or if you want to get a group together from your church, company, school, etc., you could encourage people to donate items such as garbage bags, latex gloves, paint brushes and other paint supplies, twine, or a variety of other things. A full list of items needed can be found here. February Volunteers Thank you to Cherry Hills Christian Middle School, Front Range Christian School, and Individuals for volunteering during the month of February! Thank you for partnering with ECM to make a difference in Denver neighborhooods! Sincerely, Extreme Community Makeover

2013 Saturday ECM Work Days Schedule

·         Apr 6 – Barnum – Host: Bethany United Methodist Church (3501 West 1^st Avenue, Denver, 80219)

·         Apr 20 – Westwood – The Big Day of Serving – More details here

·         May 4 – Elyria – Host: Colorado Miners (4809 Race Street, Denver, 80216)

·         May 18 – West Colfax – Host: Confluence Ministries (1400 Quitman Street, Denver, 80204)

·         Jun 1 – Barnum – Host: Barnum Recreation Center (360 Hooker Street, Denver, 80219)

·         Jun 15 – Villa Park – Host: Westside Christian Fellowship (810 Knox Court, Denver, 80204)

·         Jun 29 – Swansea – Host: Focus Points (2501 East 48^th Avenue, Denver, 80216)

·         Jul 13 – Westwood – Host: Redeemer Lutheran Church (3300 West Nevada Place, Denver, 80219)

·         Jul 27 – Globeville – Host: Street Kidz (4496 Grant Street, Denver, 80216)

·         Aug 10 – Barnum – Host: Bethany United Methodist Church (3501 West 1^st Avenue, Denver, 80219)

·         Aug 24 – La Alma/Lincoln Park – Host: His Love Fellowship (910 Kalamath Street, Denver, 80204)

·         Sep 7 – Westwood – Host: Redeemer Lutheran Church (3300 West Nevada Place, Denver, 80219)

·         Sep 21 – Elyria – Host: Colorado Miners (4809 Race Street, Denver, 80216)

·         Oct 5 – Swansea – Host: Focus Points (2501 East 48^th Avenue, Denver, 80216)

·         Oct 19 – Barnum – Host: Barnum Recreation Center (360 Hooker Street, Denver, 80219)

·         Nov 2 – TBD

All dates are listed on the calendar on the ECM website as well.  Click here for more details.