Long-awaited construction to improve a stretch of one of Globeville’s busiest roads started Friday.
The bumpy, two-lane street cuts through a mostly industrial part of Globeville between 47th and 52nd avenues. But surrounding areas include single-family homes and the National Western Center, which is due for a major expansion.
The sidewalks aren’t much better — in many parts of the street, the walkway is right up against the street or narrows into a dirt path.
Improvements will include wider sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure and more trees. Work is expected to take two years, according to a city timeline.
Plans to improve Washington Street north of Interstate 70 have been percolating since 2014, when the street was identified in the Globeville Neighborhood Plan as a potentially transformative project for the area. In 2017, the project received $23 million from the Elevate Denver bond.
It was originally expected to wrap up by 2024, which, due to the laws of time, will not happen.
The project aims to “reduce long-standing safety issues, reconnect Globeville to surrounding neighborhoods and major destinations like the National Western Center, and create a more welcoming environment for businesses and families,” according to the city.
The road project could benefit the dream of a riverfront destination in Globeville.
The 2014 Globeville Neighborhood Plan outlined a vision of the Washington Street corridor as a “mixed-use riverfront destination area,” taking advantage of its proximity to the National Western Center and the South Platte River.
“The synergy between NWC and the Washington Street and Riverfront area cannot be ignored; this relationship can have a catalytic effect on both Globeville and NWC,” the master plan said.
So far, that vision hasn’t come to pass. Much of the corridor is still surrounded by large industrial warehouses and isn’t zoned for mixed-use development.
But the city hopes rebuilding Washington Street is one step toward making the corridor a destination.
“Reconstructed and beautified, a new Washington Street streetscape will attract new development interest to the corridor,” the plan said.
