ULC March 2015 Partner Spotlight – The Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Library!
The Urban Land Conservancy celebrates the achievements of its partnerships that create and preserve nonprofit facilities and affordable housing for communities in metro Denver. ULC’s Monthly Partner Spotlight is awarded to partners who demonstrate the value of collaboration, furthering our mission to improve the lives of Denver area residents through our real estate investments and community assets.
On February 28th, The Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch Library celebrated its grand opening with Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Councilwoman Susan Shepard, Councilman Paul Lopez, and Denver Public Library Commission President Jay Mead among many excited citizens. The Corky Gonzales Library provides a much needed resource for the community, and is strategically located at ULC’s Mile High Vista, the gateway to West Colfax in Denver.
The Corky Gonzales Library is named in honor of a nationally recognized civil rights activist. Gonzales was a Denver Native who devoted his life to increasing educational and economic equality for the Latino community. He began a movement called “The Crusade for Justice” in 1966 and continued his work through founding a charter school, organizing conferences, and even with literature, writing a well-known poem “I am Joaquin.” Gonzales passed away in 2005, but his story lives on in the chronicles of his life-long campaign that are now archived at the library.
“Our branch libraries reflect the individual spirit and diversity of their neighborhoods,” said former City Librarian Shirley Amore. “The Gonzales Branch Library not only celebrates the diversity of West Denver, it is also a community space that will bring residents and visitors together in new and special ways. We ‘re honored to play a leading role in growing and strengthening the West Denver Community.”
Through a public engagement process, Studiotrope designed a library that compliments the neighborhood’s character. The library’s colorful façade is meant to reflect the diversity of the area’s residents who can now access a valuable community asset that has long been desired. The two-story, 27,000 square foot building houses important community amenities including: a 20-person meeting room, a children’s area, 50 computer stations, and an outdoor rooftop reading area, and public art. The building is LEED Silver certified and was built using local building materials, energy efficient heating and cooling, and recycled materials when possible.
“The new library is a great example of how nonprofits can successfully partner with local government to accomplish important development in communities. We are thrilled to be the master site developer and partner in this catalytic project which is now part of a new economic driver for the West Colfax area,” said ULC’s Vice President of Real Estate Debra Bustos.
HISTORY OF MILE HIGH VISTA: Thanks to the leadership of former ULC Board Chair Susan Power and owners of the adjacent Festival Plaza, Woon Ki Lau and Johnny Hsu, in 2011 ULC acquired a 2 acre parking lot at the Plaza for $2.1 million, using the Denver Transit Oriented Development Fund.
ULC developed a vision for Mile High Vista with the support of the Denver Office of Economic Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Brownfields Colorado, neighborhood organization WECAN, West Colfax BID, and architectural firm Studio Completiva. ULC invested over $2 million into the site to perform infrastructure improvements and environmental remediation. After these essential development tasks were finished, the land was ready for vertical development, and in 2012, the City and County of Denver purchased an acre parcel from ULC using funds from Better Denver Bond program. Once the design was complete, the building construction began in 2013.
Pilar Castro-Reino, Library Branch Manager shares, “The Gonzales Branch is a welcoming place for all, and we are pleased to serve the residents of the Avondale Apartments right next door to us!”
In addition to the library, ULC partnered with Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corp., who constructed 80 units of affordable housing and 10,000 square feet of commercial space next to the library. Del Norte celebrated the opening of the Avondale Apartments in summer 2014.
Mile High Vista is located within 1/4 mile of Knox and Federal/Decatur light rail stations on the W Line, and high frequency bus lines including the 1, 15 and 16. The Colfax BID was instrumental in creating a colorful new bus shelter only steps from the new library to benefit those who live, work or visit Mile High Vista. Additionally, the site is within 1.5 miles of 1 elementary school, 4 high schools, 3 colleges, and several after-school programs. As such, it was essential to create a mixed-use transit oriented development project at this site on West Colfax, and ULC’s partnership with the Gonzales Branch Library played a large part in achieving this goal.
Congratulations on the grand opening of this new valuable community asset, the Rodolfo Corky Gonzales Branch Library! We are thrilled to have been part of this crucial addition to the neighborhood and look forward to visiting the library many times in the future!