The city is set to spend $35.5 million of federal dollars on four infrastructure projects in north Denver neighborhoods.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Denver would be getting the funds earlier this year, but some of the details of the planned projects weren’t clear yet.
Documents filed with Denver City Council shed light on the city’s vision for the money. The city plans to match the federal government’s grant with its own $35.5 million, taken from a mix of wastewater funds, public health money and bond dollars.
The four projects are inspired by ‘neighborhood-led conversations.’
Denver has spent heavily in recent years on Elyria-Swansea and Globeville, two neighborhoods that were divided and heavily affected by the construction of Interstate 70 decades ago.
The four projects to be funded by the grant:
- Bettie Cram Drive Bridge and 48th Avenue Greenway: The proposed Bettie Cram Drive Bridge and 48th Avenue Greenway will connect the neighborhoods west of the South Platte River to the National Western Center campus.
- New pedestrian bridge at Brighton Boulevard and 48th Avenue: A new pedestrian crossing will make the RTD station at 48th and Brighton more accessible.
- Improvements to a railroad crossing: Changes to a railroad crossing at National Western Drive South will “improve safety in the area and accommodate activity from new area development.”
- Environmental remediation: A former bus barn next to Johnson Recreation Center will be cleaned up to remove contamination from previous uses, including its former life as a landfill. The remediation will allow future development of the site.
A timeline for the projects won’t be finalized until after city council approves the contract. The pedestrian bridge at Brighton Boulevard and 48th Avenue will likely be the first the city will pursue, according to a city spokesperson.
The projects are among many in and near the National Western Center, which is in the middle of a massive revamp project. While city officials have their own visions for the undeveloped plot of land in north Denver, residents of the neighborhood have been vocal about their desires — including affordable housing, local businesses and community spaces.
City council and Mayor Mike Johnston must sign off on the finalized grant contract. Denver has until June 2031 to use up the funds.
