Denver’s city planning department has released a draft of the Southwest Area Plan, which will provide a blueprint for growth for several neighborhoods until 2045.
The plan is part of Denver’s Neighborhood Planning Initiative, which was launched in 2017 with the goal of providing a cohesive vision for different parts of the city based on feedback from residents. The plans work as guides for city planners, in conjunction with the city’s overarching Blueprint Denver and Comprehensive Plan 2040.
So far, the city has completed plans for six areas, with three currently in development.
The Southwest Area Plan covers the Westwood, Athmar Park, Mar Lee, Ruby Hill, and Overland neighborhoods.
The draft plan was written by Denver’s Community Planning and Development department, using feedback from community members.
It covers one of the most diverse areas of Denver. According to the area plan draft, 52,000 residents live in the Southwest area, of which over two-thirds identify as Hispanic.
The 183-page draft goes into thorough detail about the visions, plans and priorities for the area, but at the core of each recommendation is enhancing the community through the built environment, creating safe ways to traverse the area and improving the quality of life for each resident.
Planners split up their goals into six guiding themes. They include “diverse cultural hubs”, “ communal spaces”, and “improved infrastructure”.
The recommendations are similar to those in other area plans, such as building more affordable housing units and improving safety for residents and pedestrians.
However, there are multiple recommendations unique to the Southwest area. In addition to ideas on how to better incorporate industrial areas to the rest of the neighborhood, there is an entire chapter in the plan dedicated to Federal Boulevard — the heart of the area.
The chapter identifies several key opportunities to build the character of Federal Boulevard, including building a new park north of West Alameda Avenue and building infrastructure around the Little Saigon district — a popular site for tourists.
“Immigrant-run small businesses are the backbone of Little Saigon and South Federal,” the draft said. “The entrepreneurial spirit of [the] immigrant community is what created the district. These small businesses are integral to the character of the community and should be preserved.”
What’s next for the draft plan?
City planners will present the draft plan for discussion during a community open house on April 26 at 10 a.m. at Goldrick Elementary School. Additionally, several meetings with local neighborhood organizations are planned through the end of May.
CPD will have to undergo two rounds of formal public review of the draft plan and use that feedback to revise the draft. Members of the public can also comment on the draft online through a survey.
After the feedback phase is complete, the department will present the final plan to Denver City Council and the Planning Board, which will both hold public hearings on the plan before a final vote.
