Lakewood officials aim to turn a closed elementary school into a family resource hub

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The building once occupied by Emory Elementary School in Lakewood could reopen as a family resource center if the sale is approved by City Council.

But misinformation about the site being used as an overnight homeless shelter led to concerns from some neighbors. 

The Action Center, a 57-year-old social services organization serving Jefferson County, would operate the space in the former school, which closed in November 2022 due to declining enrollments. City Council approved negotiations between the city and Jefferson County School District for the $4 million purchase in April.

“We’re at a time right now where we’re very divided as a community and as a country,” said Ken Cruz, a Lakewood City Council member representing the neighborhood where the resource center would be located. 

“I think organizations like The Action Center have a lot of power to unify people, once people see what they really plan to do and have that misinformation corrected,” he said.

Lakewood City Council will hold a public hearing October 27 and vote on whether to approve selling 10 acres of the site to The Action Center, which provides free food and clothing, financial consultations and assistance paying bills. The city would keep seven acres for its own use.

The former school has always been planned as a daytime social services center, not an overnight shelter, said Pam Brier, The Action Center’s CEO.

A resident-run blog, the Lakewood Informer, published an article incorrectly claiming the space would be used for overnight homeless sheltering.

An anonymous neighbor then posted flyers around the neighborhood claiming the school would be turned into an overnight shelter and the rumors, Cruz said, have caused panic about what it would mean to have a homeless shelter in the residential neighborhood. 

Cruz was raised by a single mother in Westminster. His mother and Cruz’s two siblings relied on public housing and food banks, he said. Eventually, Cruz’s mother received enough assistance from social service organizations to work full-time and purchase her own home.

“There was a period of time where I was only able to eat because of organizations like The Action Center,” Cruz said. Cruz and Roger Low, the two council members representing the neighborhood where the property is located, have publicly supported the issue. Lakewood’s remaining eight council members have not weighed in.

If council members approve the sale, the Action Center plans to offer a range of classes like nutrition, money management and parenting, as well as a gym and arts programming for the whole community.

The organization recorded a 300% increase in people seeking help over the last several years, Brier said. Rising living costs in the Denver area, combined with stagnant wages, have led more people to rely on food banks and other assistance programs. The Action Center has outgrown its current location just off Colfax Avenue, prompting the nonprofit to seek a larger space.

Most of The Action Center’s clients are not people experiencing homelessness, Brier said. Right now, families often have to make multiple trips for medical, dental and child care services and the plan is for the new center to provide those services in one place.

“It’s really hard for someone who's already struggling trying to get from one place to another and who’s already strapped for time and resources,” she said.

The Action Center has held three open houses — in July, August and September — to hear neighbors’ concerns and hopes for the space. City officials attended the Sept. 17 meeting. The Action Center staff have also attended each of Lakewood City Council Ward meetings.

About 50 people attended the Sept. 17 open house where several speakers voiced concerns about potential loitering and drug use, though most neighbors declined to speak on the record. When speaking with concerned constituents, Cruz shares his story and tries to change their perspective about what kind of person uses these services.

“You never know when you might need food or clothing assistance, and it can really happen to anyone,” Cruz said. “There’s a misconception that these organizations are only for certain kinds of community members and that’s just not the case.”

Moving The Action Center off of Colfax and into a neighborhood feels like an attempt to “hide” people using its services, said Anita Springsteen, a Lakewood resident and former City Council member.

“I’m suspicious that they’re trying to hide things in the middle of neighborhoods so nobody can really see what’s going on,” Springsteen said. “The issue with hiding these problems is that the problems can’t be solved if we’re pretending they don’t exist.”

Anna Hanel, who lives about a mile from the former school, said she welcomes more resources into her community.

“Times are tough and they're getting tougher for working families, and so having some help for people right here in the neighborhood is something we should be embracing," Hanel said. “It makes me really sad how many people have been so angry and spread fear about this.”

The city also plans to buy The Action Center’s two buildings on West 14th Avenue and lease them back to the nonprofit for a few years, giving the organization time to transition into the school. If approved, the purchase is expected to be finalized in December.