Denver wins $30 million to remake Sun Valley

DENVER — The City and County of Denver and the Denver Housing Authority received a $ 30 million grant that will go toward housing, jobs and new open space in the Sun Valley neighborhood.

With the award of this Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), local partners will be able to:

  • Build 750 new, mixed-income housing units;
  • Improve the neighborhood’s landscape by creating new open space and increasing opportunities for local businesses;
  • Increase families’ access to quality jobs and education; and
  • Develop a centralized district energy program to serve the target area.

Located just west of downtown Denver, Sun Valley is the lowest income neighborhood in the city, and the Sun Valley Homes and Sun Valley Annex public housing developments are among the housing authority’s most distressed and isolated sites. Despite these challenges, Sun Valley holds incredible potential, with a new light rail station and significant planned private and public investments.

“The residents of Sun Valley deserve the same access to opportunities that so many others in our city have, and this plan will breathe new life into all of these efforts,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said.

New investments in Sun Valley are laying the groundwork for the future. The Decatur-Federal Light Rail Station was completed in 2013 and now connects Sun Valley to downtown and the surrounding region. In the northern part of the neighborhood, the Denver Broncos plan to construct a $ 351 million Entertainment District with retail, commercial and residential developments. Additionally, the city is continuing to invest in the neighborhood’s light industrial area to attract new businesses.

Read a comprehensive summary of each the Choice Neighborhood grants announced today.

Other cities who shared a total of $ 132 million in HUD grants awarded were:  Louisville, Kentucky; Boston, Massachusetts; St. Louis; and Camden, New Jersey.

“More than anything, we are enthusiastic about this award because of what it means for the children of Sun Valley,” said Ismael Guerrero, DHA Executive Director.  “We will replace the obsolete housing with new and improved housing, and we will make investments in the neighborhood.  And all of that will be with the goal of making Sun Valley a great place for families and a neighborhood where our children reach their full potential.”

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