The Holly Square barricades in Park Hill will be removed within the next few weeks after the community voted to move forward with new designs for the area presented at a meeting on Monday.
A community task force made up of members of the Holly Area Redevelopment Plan (HARP) proposed a measure that came from Denver’s Public Works department, which included more narrow streets, extended sidewalks, diagonal parking on the street and more trees in the area.
The task force is made up of 15 people with a stake in the neighborhood and was co-chaired by local activist Jeff Fard of Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center and HARP chairman Geri Grimes.
Fard said the task force recommended removing the barricades when school starts or no later than just after Labor Day weekend.
“I think this was a great time and opportunity to show this community that we can come together and work together,” Fard said.
Grimes said some of the businesses were showing declines in revenue since the barricades were installed by Public Works on June 30 at East 33rd Avenue and Hudson Street. Grimes said the city could remove the barricades and begin improvements.
There was no timeframe presented. Grimes said Public Works had some funding in place but would have to look for more.
According to Denver police, the barricades helped prevent drive-by shootings and drug deals by not allowing cars either in or out of that section of Holly Square. The strip mall at the south end of the square has long been known as a hot spot for the Bloods street gang.
There have been no shootings in Holly Square since March.
James Chapman, who owns the Buttonman Gift Shop in the strip mall near 33rd and Hudson, said his sales were down 40 percent to 45 percent and that he hasn’t received any help from the city.
However, he thinks the barricades have been effective and he doesn’t want to see gang members return to the area and hang out in front of his shop.
“It’s a pilot (program), it has curbed the violence and it’s making the community feel safer,” Chapman said. “This is the community’s block. This is not the gang members’ block. They don’t own the sidewalk. They don’t lease this corner to sell drugs.”
When the barricades were first placed, area residents said they were not consulted and that no one seemed to know that the road would be blocked.
