2015 Community Facility Scan Opportunities for Community-Benefit Commercial Development at Transit in Metro Denver Prepared for: Prepared by: Acknowledgements Mile High Connects is a collaborative ensuring that our region’s transit system helps people access opportunity by connecting to affordable housing, healthy environments, quality education and good-paying jobs. Report Author: Megan Devenport Program Manager Denver Shared Spaces Publication Date: January, 2016 Special thanks to the organizations that participated in this study for sharing their insights into the needs and opportunities for community-serving organizations and businesses along transit corridors. Thanks to Donovan Cordova for research and editing support, and to Jennifer Newcomer for access, training, and support related to the ArcGIS Story Maps. 2015 Community Facility Scan │ 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Method ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 A (East) Line/R (I-225) Line Focus Areas ....................................................................................................... 4 A Line Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 4 R Line Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 4 A & R Focus Area Summary ...................................................................................................................... 4 40th & Colorado Station............................................................................................................................. 4 Peoria Station (Peoria St & Smith Rd) ................................................................................................... 7 Fitzsimons Station (Fitzsimons Pkwy & Peoria St)/Colfax (Colfax Ave & Fitzsimons Pkwy) ................. 9 W (West) Line Focus Areas ......................................................................................................................... 11 W Line Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 11 W Focus Area Summary ...................................................................................................................... 11 Sun Valley ............................................................................................................................................ 12 West Colfax ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Villa Park ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Westwood ........................................................................................................................................... 18 G (Gold) Line/B (Northwest) Line Focus Areas ........................................................................................... 20 G Line Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 20 B Line Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 20 41st & Fox Station ................................................................................................................................ 21 Pecos Junction Station (62nd & Pecos) ................................................................................................ 23 Clear Creek – Federal Station (60th & Federal) ................................................................................... 25 Westminster Station (71st & Federal) ................................................................................................. 27 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix A: Relevant Planning Documents Reviewed ............................................................................... 30 Appendix B: Community Benefit Org Catalog (as of 1.2016) ...................................................................... 31 2015 Community Facility Scan │ 2 Introduction In 2016, RTD will open 62 miles of new light rail in the region. This dramatic expansion opens significant opportunities for development near stations along these new lines. The development that takes place around transit stations is most successful if it includes a range of housing options, including affordable housing, and community serving facilities, like quality child care centers, places to access healthy food, and services to support residents.1 Affordable housing and community benefit commercial uses are critical to combating displacement and enhance the quality of life for all residents in the region. In order to better understand what specific opportunities exist for development of community facilities, Mile High Connects contracted with Denver Shared Spaces to complete a Community Facility Scan in 2015. The scan was confined to Mile High Connects’ focus geographies: A (East)/R (I-225) Lines: 40th & Colorado, Peoria, Fitzsimons, and Colfax Stations G (Gold)/B (Northwest) Lines: 41st & Fox, Pecos Junction, Clear Creek-Federal, and Westminster Neighborhoods surrounding the W (West) Line: Sun Valley, West Colfax, Villa Park, Westwood The scan draws together multiple sources of information to understand the implications for community- benefit commercial development along transit. The intent of this exploration was not to provide an exhaustive analysis of each focus area. Rather, the resulting analysis profiles each station area or neighborhood, draws out assets and gaps, and identifies specific recommendations for commercial uses that would best complement the communities surrounding each station area. Method The methodology used for the scan included the following components: Document review of existing development plans, research publications, and market studies covering the focus areas o Findings and recommendations were synthesized with the specific filter of implications for commercial uses; complete list of documents reviewed in Appendix A. Development and analysis of ArcGIS Story Map for each focus area in partnership with the Data Initiative at Gary Community Investments; accessible at the link below2 Development of Community Benefit Org Catalog based on Colorado Secretary of State 990 data o Filtered record based on financial criteria, and sorted using zip code into the three target corridors. Resulting list included ~360 nonprofits located in and around the areas of interest to this study. Each record reviewed for: proximity to focus station areas, type of programming, space needs, and foot traffic. Accessible via the link below.3 Interviews with nonprofits serving residents in the three focus geographies o Nonprofits interviewed represent well-respected organizations with a track record of community-based work. Recommendations for commercial uses and possible partners for community-benefit commercial development within target geographies; based on analysis and interviews 1 http://bit.ly/1REQAVT 2 http://arcg.is/1HnRS53 3 http://bit.ly/1RM4DJi 2015 Community Facility Scan │ 3 A (East) Line/R (I-225) Line Focus Areas A Line Overview4 23-mile electric commuter rail line between Denver’s Union Station and Denver International Airport (DIA) 7 stations on the line: 38th & Blake, 40th & Colorado, Central Park, Peoria, Airport & 40th Blvd - Gateway Park, Peña Boulevard, and Denver Airport Opens to public in 2016 R Line Overview5 10.5-mile light rail line through Aurora; provides connections to the East and Southeast rail lines 8 stations: Peoria, Fitzsimons, Colfax, 13th Avenue, 2nd Ave-Abilene, Aurora Metro Center, Florida, and Iliff Opens to the public in 2016 A & R Focus Area Summary Taken together, this focus area differs from the 7 County Metro average in several important ways. Broadly, the neighborhoods impacted by the development of the A and R lines are well-below the average household income for the region, have a higher percentage of immigrant families, slightly more residents over 65 and under 5, and a higher percentage of households below 100% of Area Median Income.6 This is true even when including Denver’s Stapleton neighborhood, an outlier on these indicators compared to all other neighborhoods impacted by the A and R lines.7 Northwest Aurora is the area of the city with the most diverse population.8 The variety of population characteristics decreases further south and east toward the urban edge. Both the A and R lines will provide connectivity for residents of Aurora and Denver to major activity centers like the Downtown Denver, Aurora City Center, Anschutz Medical Campus, and Denver International Airport. The lines comprise a range of station types. 40th & Colorado Station