Architectural rendering courtesy of Van Meter Williams Pollack

Breaking News, Breaking Ground

Denver’s East Colfax neighborhood will be getting a fresh look with the addition of a new Mercy Housing property. This development is greatly needed as Denver housing prices continue to climb sky-high and availability hasn’t kept up with rapid population growth.

Mercy Housing Mountain Plains (MHMP) was selected by the City and County of Denver to develop affordable housing for families on two contiguous parcels of land along historic East Colfax Avenue. Mercy Housing plans to add to the existing neighborhood fabric with iconic architecture and placemaking features. Plans for the five-story development include 83 affordable apartment homes that range in size from one- to four-bedrooms.

An important addition to this property will be located on the ground level. Mercy Housing intends to lease the space to an affordable, high-quality early childhood education service that can offer both residents and the community a place for little ones to learn and grow. This neighborhood is severely under-served making childcare options difficult to find.

Pending final approval and funding from the City of Denver, construction is set to begin 2021 with anticipated completion in 2022.

“Responding to the City and East Colfax Community’s vision and needs and being able to meet those in a creative partnership is really exciting. I think the initial response from stakeholders and the community so far has been overwhelmingly positive regarding Mercy Housing’s plans for the site, especially given the current state of the site,” said Kuhl, Director of Real Estate Development for MHMP.

Being a partner in the community is an important aspect for Mercy Housing. Over the winter and summer of 2020, Mercy Housing will hold two public meetings to get architectural input on the design.

“I think the City’s [Denver] and Mercy Housing’s visions for the project and site are aligned in that the project will both help provide stability to the area of East Colfax, but also provide architectural appeal and opportunity for a community resource for the block and area surrounding East Colfax,” Kuhl said.

It is going to be a win-win for Mercy Housing residents and the local community. Look for updates on the East Colfax development in the future to watch this project unfold.