Aurora looks to East Colfax neighbors for improvements to Colorado community
Aurora's East Colfax corridor is at the center of a sweeping revitalization.
Current efforts aim to rejuvenate the area and ensure residents and longtime businesses aren't left behind. If approved, the area could be Aurora's first Downtown Development Authority.
"I grew up in that house right on the corner of 14th and Dayton," said Kirk Manzanares. "I went to school in Aurora, and I've left a few times, but I always come back home."
He recalls a different East Colfax as a child. He remembers a vibrant, family-friendly neighborhood where kids roamed freely at night and local businesses thrived. Today, he says Ward 1 still has a lot to be proud of, despite recent challenges with crime and safety.
"I think the city council, over the years, have forgotten about Ward 1. Then they care about it for a little while, and then they stop caring," he said. "We don't want big development coming in and gentrifying the neighborhood. We want to keep what we've got and build on that."
Now, the city is proposing a Downtown Development Authority to bring East Colfax back to life -- with one major difference: this time, the power would rest with the people.
"A Downtown Development Authority includes residents, businesses, and property owners," said Andrea Amonick, retail and redevelopment manager for the City of Aurora. "That's different from a (Business Improvement District), which only allows businesses and property owners to participate."
In addition to economic development, a DDA would also help with things like beautification, street and sidewalk repairs and safety improvements.
Priorities for those in the neighborhood included improving public safety, attracting new businesses and filling empty storefronts, improving pedestrian experience and traffic safety, and improving the perception of the area.
A DDA, under Colorado state law, must be approved by a vote. If created, it would allow a neighborhood to define its own economic future with a board representing all community stakeholders. A consultancy agency will work with residents to build a strategy and set up a vote for the creation of the DDA.
"This will be locally advocated for," Amonick said. "The city isn't pushing this -- residents will go door to door to explain it and get out the vote."
Mateos Alvarez, with the "Original Aurora Neighbors" neighborhood association, has worked along Colfax Avenue for over a decade. He advocates for revitalization that includes the residents who've stuck with the neighborhood through thick and thin.
"This time is different," he said. "There's real pressure now from redevelopment around the Anschutz Campus and on the Denver side. It's not just the city pushing. The community has been pushing for years."
Alvarez applauds recent efforts to involve the community, including a trip to Massachusetts to learn from other cities that have undergone similar transformations.
"We need the different community members at the table in order to drop a vision together that helps drive that economic revitalization of east Colfax," he said.
In 10 years, community leaders like Alvarez hope East Colfax will not only be safer and more vibrant but still diverse, proud, and authentic.
For more information on East Colfax plans, visit engageaurora.org/colfaxplan.
