Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 1:30 p.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, Council Committee Room, Room 391 1437 Bannock Street
Committee: South Platte River Committee
The South Platte River Committee heard two presentations. Denver Housing Authority staff presented on the Sun Valley redevelopment, which replaced 333 public housing units with 965 mixed-income units across 7 buildings, leveraged roughly $34 million in HUD funding and about $60 million in city dollars into roughly half a billion dollars of development, and includes a planned ~11-acre riverfront park whose first phase is slated for construction beginning at the end of 2025 under an $8.5 million phase-one budget (city contributing $3 million). DOTI staff then presented on citywide and South Platte River bridge conditions, noting about 650 city-owned structures, roughly 13.8% rated structurally deficient, an average of about $7 million in annual capital funding against a larger identified need, recent preservation and replacement successes, and a new public bridge-condition dashboard. Council members asked questions about the financing leverage, right-of-return rates, the lack of a neighborhood school, unit and child-population breakdowns, CDOT's performance on bridges like Federal Boulevard, ratings of the 6th Avenue viaducts, and the funding gap. No votes were read aloud; two items were noted as on consent.
0:01 Poppy.
0:07 Welcome to the South Platte
0:12 session of the South Platte
0:12 River Committee of Denver City
0:19 today it is the South
0:19 River Committee begins now.
0:20 Platte River Committee on
0:22 Wednesday, 11th, I'm your
0:23 committee, vice chair and
0:24 council for large serve
0:25 parity. We will start with
0:30 councilmember intros to my
0:31 left.
0:31 numbers you wants prepped
0:34 and Vine District 9. Good and
0:37 700 customers just different.
0:39 Kevin plane Southwest covers
0:41 district 2 and I'll pause in
0:42 case we have any members
0:45 online. I'm not sure that we
0:46 All right. So then with that,
0:49 we have 2 presentations today,
0:50 2 items on consent. First we
0:52 have the team from.
0:53 The Denver Housing
0:55 Authority presenting on Sun
0:56 Valley com. And you guys can
0:56 introduce yourselves and
1:01 continuing. Thank
1:02 Martinez, CHAIRMAN Chief
1:02 Second plane, Renee
1:03 strategy and planning officer
1:07 at Denver Housing Authority.
1:07 I'm Erin Clark chief real
1:10 Denver Housing Authority. Our
1:10 estate investment officer at
1:13 studio is on his way and we
1:14 have some additional team
1:16 members in the audience.
1:21 Are you looking to get started
1:21 Great. Thank you so much.
1:23 or you want Jeff and kicking
1:29 us off thanks to name bad next
1:30 flight. All right. Here to
1:31 talk about today is the
1:33 transformation of the Sun
1:35 Valley neighborhood. This
1:40 property with a 333 ag homes,
1:43 a concentration 1400 very
1:44 low-income residents, a light
1:46 rail station that provided
1:47 promising connectivity
1:49 investment at the time,
1:52 limited access to health,
1:53 healthy amenities services,
1:56 unhealthy fad 2015, we're
1:58 actually in 2013 we began a
2:01 choice neighborhood initiative
2:03 planning grants and then we
2:06 pursued additional
2:07 implementation funding from
2:10 high in 2015 following some
2:14 analysis next slide. Part of
2:19 that analysis. I included what
2:21 we're redeveloping money. Dj
2:21 and evaded a resident focused
2:23 approach called the healthy
2:25 living tool. This became a
2:26 national model called the
2:29 Living Initiative. And what
2:30 this did is it made sure that
2:33 redevelopment a wind with
2:35 indicators of health and
2:38 specific PRESIDENT State. So
2:42 it looked health indicators,
2:44 social determinants of health,
2:45 including safety, inclusion,
2:46 ability to interact with
2:49 others isolation. Those things
2:50 that we learned for making
2:54 things hard for residents. We
2:56 focused both kind quantitative
3:00 as well as quantitative what
3:02 this was to do. Is true? Our
3:07 approach phasing invest
3:09 investments that would connect
3:11 to residents through a number
3:12 of investments like the people
3:16 Center a garden. Those early
3:17 threads that would help
3:18 residents to understand that
3:19 this redevelopment it for
3:23 them. We weren't doing it for
3:26 someone else residents to
3:28 addition, this work could help
3:31 make sure. But the good to
3:32 environment the bloc's, the
3:34 science, the buildings
3:37 sustainable, healthy and
3:38 provided activity
3:41 interactions. Joy art,
3:42 cultural representation and
3:45 access to essential programs.
3:47 Next slide. Some of the things
3:49 that we early 2015, what a
3:53 health survey was conducted
3:54 with their earnings for the
3:57 whole process implementing. In
3:58 2018, a full healthy living
4:01 initiative some valley was
4:02 implemented with assessment
4:05 surveys interviews.
4:06 Quantitative data setting
4:08 baselines in campaigns that
4:11 would address social and
4:11 mental well-being. Natural,
4:14 the natural environment, the
4:15 adult environment and what we
4:17 can do to support act of
4:21 living and other healthy
4:23 interactions, access and
4:24 inclusion get on mobility and
4:27 access to services as well as
4:29 safety, which is an ongoing
4:36 concern. Next slide. One of
4:37 critical allemands, master
4:37 planning for the
4:41 transformation of Sun Valley
4:41 was a focus on children and
4:42 families. So there was a
4:46 desire for open space that
4:47 would create opportunity for
4:49 children to exercise play.
4:52 Experience nature and interact
4:55 potentially gardens those
4:55 conversations started early in
4:58 the master planning and that
4:59 continued in more detail. 2017
5:05 through 2020. In 2019, Denver
5:07 Parks and joined that effort
5:10 that started really looking at
5:12 taking and how that should
5:13 drive our understanding of
5:13 needs and demands for park
5:17 facilities. That was later
5:18 followed up. So what's
5:19 represented here was a part of
5:22 the game The show demand
5:23 Person Valley that was
5:25 followed up in 2024. Swift
5:27 additional study that looked
5:29 at it. More of recreation,
5:32 specific indicators, but still
5:33 indicated a very high demand
5:36 in need for parks and
5:37 recreation space within Hunter
5:47 Valley. Sorry, I didn't from a
5:47 party revealing I'm is this
5:50 out of fashion?
5:54 can never in a moment to
5:55 breathe available Campbell and
5:57 Tha Seo a chance to try make
5:57 his birthday. I understand it
6:01 to so happy birthday.
6:02 think different everyone
6:06 thank it. Thanks for joining
6:08 Thank So part of dha suffered
6:09 especially in redevelopment.
6:12 Is that we? Not only integrate
6:15 the needs of House of Health
6:18 but weren't consistently
6:18 engaging what the residents,
6:21 communities, partners and
6:22 stakeholders to have input in
6:26 the phase design projects
6:27 details the programming and
6:29 construction. And so part of
6:30 that effort not only include
6:34 an onsite offices were
6:35 community connectors, conserve
6:39 staff help them too. Cal the
6:40 relocation options and come
6:42 back, exercising their right
6:46 to return. So we started
6:48 programs and we engaged we
6:49 have focus groups with
6:49 community advisory meetings.
6:52 We had a defense so that the
6:54 fund and the focus and
6:55 residents have even before
6:56 building started develop
7:00 Seoul. Fact, there's one more
7:04 slide and always essential to
7:05 this. The North star, however,
7:08 even redevelopment, it's a
7:08 focus on the community
7:09 priorities that were set
7:13 currently on. That would mean
7:14 that we would deliver benefits
7:16 and now comes that were
7:18 desired by the early
7:21 residents. So kit included use
7:24 in education, really bring him
7:24 in solving the issue of access
7:28 to food, which is solved with
7:32 have a small grocery that we
7:33 have delivered addressing that
7:36 opportunity of mixed in common
7:38 variety of housing types for
7:39 intentional housing, the parks
7:42 and open states and not a
7:43 sustainable infrastructure.
7:46 Those inside now to ensure
7:49 center just a little detail a
7:49 healthy sustainable community
7:53 to make Thank you so much for
7:53 night.
7:54 And thank you for having So
7:57 yes, I get to talk about how
7:58 it took all of that amazing,
8:01 intentional community grounded
8:02 work and what were the needs
8:06 of the people and how that has
8:07 is now reflected in the
8:07 changes that we've been
8:10 physically in terms of housing
8:10 and infrastructure. And of
8:15 course, that's next being park
8:17 and after me, Joaquin share
8:18 more to close us out of the
8:22 impact of all of this work. So
8:25 the redevelopment itself. We
8:27 really think this is key that
8:27 we have been rebuilding for
8:30 access and for opportunities.
8:32 So as a high-level framing
8:35 this redevelopment work is
8:39 read about has redeveloped.
8:40 333 former public housing
8:43 units, the Sun Valley homes
8:48 into now 965. Units of
8:50 housing, apartments and
8:55 townhomes across 7 buildings
8:58 and with additional lands to
8:59 consult a market rate partners
9:03 to bring in another round 1000
9:05 going from the concentration
9:08 public housing, too. A truly
9:09 mixed income community. And I
9:12 think what's so special about
9:12 and that so many things are so
9:14 special that some valley, but
9:15 with respect to the South
9:16 Platte River, specifically
9:21 that. We are helping to kind
9:24 of be part of that change of
9:24 turning a center turn our
9:26 backs to the river, really
9:31 viewing it as an amenity
9:32 grouping ourselves with what's
9:33 to come at Ball arena and
9:34 what's happening at National
9:37 Western and all of these
9:37 large-scale redevelopment
9:40 happening up and down our
9:41 riverfront. But in this case,
9:42 it is grounded in a community
9:46 that was multigenerational and
9:49 that is starting with really
9:50 focused around deeply
9:53 affordable housing. So this
9:56 whole redevelopment again, was
9:58 made possible by leveraging
9:59 34 million dollars in a grant
10:02 from the federal government
10:04 from hud that then let's use
10:05 leverage. Our partnership with
10:06 you all here at the city and
10:08 county of Denver to the d 3
10:10 bond program. Just over
10:14 60 million dollars of that has
10:14 been used in these 7 buildings
10:16 that we've used. And from
10:21 that. Federal dollars, the
10:23 city or city dollars. But
10:24 through the Affordable Housing
10:25 Fund and bonding through the
10:26 housing authority has been
10:29 used to leverage up to over
10:32 half billion dollars in
10:35 development. So that is a
10:36 racial 14 to This is a really
10:40 good return on investment. And
10:40 that we just think that's a
10:41 really important message to
10:42 share the image you'll see
10:46 here on the left the original
10:46 sunvalley homes, those red
10:48 roofs there and the curved
10:50 linear streets kind of that's
10:52 more suburban contacts in this
10:53 urban location to the right is
10:54 the redevelopment land itself.
10:58 So all of the kind of brightly
11:01 colored buildings are the ones
11:02 that dha has placed here. And
11:03 then you'll see along the
11:06 river to the east is the
11:10 original concepts for for the
11:11 Riverfront Park, but
11:11 importantly, again, grounding
11:15 this in community the people.
11:17 A community that has
11:21 historically been under invest
11:22 but
11:22 has such a rich cultural
11:23 ties with 33 different
11:25 cultural backgrounds and 30
11:26 different languages spoken.
11:27 And so it's been very
11:28 key for us in looking at
11:32 what we're doing to change the
11:35 roadways to bring in housing
11:36 and services that that were
11:37 grounded in making sure that
11:38 this is still a community
11:39 where these folks are welcome
11:43 and feel at home. So these are
11:45 the pretty pictures of the 7
11:46 things that built in the past
11:49 6 years. So
11:51 we felt them in 3 phases.
11:54 Gateway North and gave way
11:56 South were 187 units of
11:57 housing that were constructed
12:01 between 2021 2023. Greenhouse
12:04 and thrive. That was another
12:05 264 units. Those were
12:09 constructed between 2021 2023.
12:09 And then we're in our final
12:13 phase now, face 3 jolly Solon
12:14 flow. Those have been
12:16 constructed between 2023 and
12:17 this year 2025. So those 3
12:21 buildings are all opening this
12:22 year. We are delivering 514
12:24 new units of housing in just
12:26 this calendar year 2025, we
12:28 have already had 2 successful
12:29 groundbreaking event for
12:32 Joleon for so long we want
12:34 welcome you all to join us on
12:35 AUGUST, 7th for our capstone
12:38 kind of groundbreaking event
12:39 for flow, which will be a
12:40 senior high-rise, 100%
12:44 affordable older adults those
12:48 with disabilities with that,
12:49 we're going to have a block
12:51 party and just kind of a
12:52 neighborhood at the end of the
12:54 summer again, AUGUST 7. So
12:55 watch your email inbox is for
12:57 information about that and
12:59 also critically that. This is
13:02 all been built for, yes, its
13:03 more housing. So there's new
13:05 residents coming Imber. There
13:08 is first right of return for
13:09 all of those original. Some
13:13 valley residents have and we
13:14 are far exceeding national
13:17 expectations in terms of the
13:17 return rate, which has really
13:23 wonderful. So in terms of the
13:23 South Platte River, just my
13:25 last piece of this is just a
13:26 share. The infrastructure
13:30 investment as well. We see
13:30 everything including
13:33 affordable housing as and
13:33 investment in in needed
13:35 infrastructure headband with
13:36 me. But here we're talking
13:39 we put in ground that the land
13:39 about the specific things that
13:43 work. So you'll see we have
13:47 subdivided. The area created a
13:48 agreed where there was not one
13:49 before to improve
13:51 connectivity. Previously 10th
13:54 Avenue, a bull which comes
13:55 down actually crosses
13:56 Federales. One of the few
13:57 places you can you can get
14:01 across into Sunday Valley. It
14:02 used to stop at Decatur
14:02 Street. Now it cuts through
14:05 all the way too, the and to
14:11 the future Riverfront Park all
14:12 of this is we've made sure to
14:15 not only create new rights of
14:17 way where we've increased the
14:19 size of the water lines and
14:20 the sewer line. So all of
14:21 those also use to follow those
14:22 those curved linear streets.
14:26 They are now and now have been
14:26 improved. Amber placed in
14:31 these new rights of way. We
14:34 water quality along the or
14:35 within the sidewalks, things
14:40 of that nature and enhanced
14:41 votes for how the water flows
14:44 kind of downhill into this
14:46 area underground and
14:48 ultimately is cleans to a
14:49 degree before it enters the
14:51 South Platte River. So what's
14:55 next? The park itself. So we
14:56 call it the riverfront park.
14:59 That is not the official name
14:59 of this will ultimately be a
15:01 city park. It will go through
15:05 those naming process is with
15:07 community input from what the
15:09 ultimate name of the park will
15:11 But we will see here jus in
15:16 contacts having r block 3
15:18 Jolie and flow and of food
15:18 incubator that we're building
15:20 there as well. A commissary
15:22 kitchen. We'll have roll-up
15:25 doors that have nice indoor
15:26 outdoor space. We are
15:27 constructing Alcott Street
15:29 now, which will be a shared
15:32 kind of warm festival street.
15:34 Yes, cars can. Can drive
15:36 there. But really, it's it's
15:37 bill for pedestrians, for for
15:41 people locking in rolling. And
15:41 and as I great, great gateway
15:46 to to the park. And so on this
15:48 next slide, we want to just
15:49 share some of the details
15:49 there. You can see the
15:52 imagery. The park itself came
15:55 out of the original general
15:58 development plan for the area.
15:59 So it is ultimately to be