Jefferson Park community in Denver booming with development, business

Walk around in the Jefferson Park neighborhood and it’s hard not to notice the construction on every block or the new shops popping up at what used to be a mostly vacant retail center at West 25th Avenue and Eliot Street.

The neighborhood — which spans from Sports Authority Field north to Speer Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Federal Boulevard — is experiencing a resurgence of business and development.

“Just about every property around here is in transition. It’s exciting,” said Leslie Twarogowski, co-executive director of the Federal Business Improvement District, which ranges from 22nd to 27th avenues on Federal and encompasses two blocks on 25th that include the shops on Eliot.

In the past year three new businesses have opened on the block: Sexy Pizza, Crossfit Jefferson Park and Jefferson Park Pub. A men’s tailor shop is scheduled to open in September and an Italian restaurant should open shortly after.

It’s a far cry from a few years ago when approximately 60 percent of the business space was vacant, according to Denver City Councilwoman Susan Shepherd, who lives near the area.

“Growth in the area has been more intense than any other neighborhood in northwest Denver,” Shepherd said.

There are approximately 30 development projects in the works.

Crossfit Jefferson Park co-owner Rhianon Schuman said the change in the neighborhood is what piqued her interest.

“It just seemed to be the next new hip neighborhood,” she said.

Two large complexes, Element 47 at 2180 Bryant St. and 2785 Speer, should bring in approximately 650 apartment units, and other projects are bringing smaller complexes with 20 to 25 units on land that previously held two or three bungalow homes.

“There’s no question that there is a re-emergence of everything in Jefferson Park and the Highlands area,” said Lauren Brockman, principal with Allied Development Corp., which is building the 2785 Speer complex.

That project should be complete next year and will have residential and retail along with an underground parking structure. The first wave of apartments will be ready for move -in this fall.

Nathan Adams, a developer with Adams Development, has his hands in five projects that are under construction and three more in the planning stages. He also owns a vacant lot next to an empty liquor store at 25th and Eliot and the row homes behind it.

Adams said he believes Jefferson Park, with its great views and proximity to downtown, will be the next place for young professionals to move and the next place to boom after the Highland neighborhood.

“I believe Jefferson Park will do what LoHi did at a faster pace,” Adams said.

But as development booms, density will increase, and the Jefferson Park United Neighbors group is taking note. Vice president Michael Guiietz said that while parts of the change are positive, many residents are not ready for the boom. He expects the population of the neighborhood to double in the next year.

“It’s a mixed bag, he said. “It’s been a long time coming and residents have been waiting for this for a long time. But I don’t think people were prepared for the density coming in,” he said.

The neighborhood had a plan approved in 2005 by Denver City Council, and the rezoning the city did in 2010 set Jefferson Park up for this development. The recession was a setback, but according to Denver development and planning supervisor Chris Gleissner, things are back on track.

“What we’re seeing now is things come to fruition in those plans.”

Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc