Northwest Aurora enters phase two of Colfax community plan
share
AURORA, Colo. — Northwest Aurora residents filed into the cafeteria at North Middle School on March 18 for a community meeting hosted by Progressive Urban Management Associates, or PUMA. The organization wanted to gauge community interest around the “Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan.”
The City of Aurora is leading the project with hopes of fulfilling community needs across the Northwest Aurora neighborhood related to public safety, housing and the arts.
Northwest Aurora is home to more than 16,000 people and is one of the most diverse communities in the state, but has struggled in recent years with homelessness, rising rent and crime.
At the community meeting, poster boards describing potential projects lined the back of the room. Attendees placed colorful dots on the project boards as a way to vote on the top priorities for the Colfax corridor in the neighborhood.
Among eight categories on the boards, two were extensively decorated in dots of blue, red, green and yellow: “prevent displacement of existing residents and businesses” and “attract new businesses and fill empty storefronts.”
These two categories have been a point of contention for many of the area's residents, as redevelopment and economic support for businesses have historically raised property value, displacing residents of the community.
Many residents believe there’s a way to invest in the neighborhood without displacing residents and business owners who have been there for decades.
“I want to see this area economically developed, but I wouldn't want to see it at the cost of losing the multicultural beauty that is here,” said Marcel Nurucki, co-founder of Village Exchange Center, a nonprofit that provides groceries to refugees and immigrants in Aurora.
Nurucki works with hundreds of immigrants and refugees every week and sees the constant need for food security and stable housing.
Prior to the completion of I-70 and I-225 in the 1970s, Colfax was a main thoroughfare for the city and served as Aurora’s original downtown.
“This area is really the historical heart of Aurora,” said Curtis Gardner, an at-large member of Aurora City Council. “This is our original main street, our original downtown and there’s so much opportunity here.”
Residents in the area aren’t strangers to unfulfilled promises of development.
“The attempts that have happened over the last 10 years haven’t done anything,” said Christopher Belila, a resident in the area since 2016. “I’m in support for real changes and to make the area better.”
Since contracting PUMA — an economic development and planning firm — in 2024, the City of Aurora has been developing a plan with the firm to revitalize the Northwest Aurora neighborhood.
PUMA’s area of focus covers the East Colfax area of North Aurora, stretching from Yosemite Street to Peoria Street and from 17th Avenue to E 13th Avenue.
The project consists of three phases. Right now, they’re in phase two.
In the first phase, PUMA conducted background research and interviews in the community. Then the organization presented economic plans in public meetings to receive feedback.
During phase two, PUMA and the City of Aurora have been seeking community feedback through surveys and meetings to refine their plans based on the issues that residents raised in phase one such as improving public safety and attracting new business.
If PUMA finds support, the organization will follow legal processes to determine if the neighborhood can become either a Business Improvement District (BID), a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) or a Community Development Corporation (CDC).
Residents can then vote on the proposed district plans in November.
“There a lot of struggles in this community, but by and large, there’s a thriving community that really cares and wants to see change,” said Gardner.
Thoa Nguyen, owner of Banh and Butter Bakery Cafe, has been on the East Colfax strip since 2023. With support from the city through the Small Business Development Center program, she has survived while so many neighboring businesses have failed in recent years due to rent increases.
“There’s a lot of support here in Aurora,” Nguyen said. “East Colfax gets a bad rep but there’s so much beauty here, from the Ethiopian restaurants to the arts district, we just need everyone to come together to build this [development].”
Nguyen grew up in Denver. Her parents owned the New Saigon Bakery and Deli, right off of Federal Boulevard. She said that the stretch between 6th Avenue and Alameda faced similar challenges as Northwest Aurora, like homelessness and inadequate street infrastructure.
There are ongoing improvements to the city’s infrastructure and support for local businesses. Nguyen said that although the Federal Boulevard strip isn’t perfect, it has changed a lot in the last 10 years for the better.
“It looks clean when you drive down it today, the same businesses and establishments are still there, everything has cleaned up compared to 10, 15 years ago,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said it’s going to take support from fellow community members to be able to make the Colfax corridor a space with a lot of foot traffic and businesses that support the residential community living there.
Banh and Butter Bakery Cafe receives consistent customers, but not from people walking in the neighborhood. Nguyen said her business is a destination people drive to. She hopes to change that with the improvement plans, allowing for more walk-ins.
PUMA pitched that the neighborhood could either become a Business Improvement District (BID), a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) or a Community Development Corporation (CDC).
Belila said that developing the business aspect of the area will funnel a lot of money back into the community through sales and property taxes.
“We all deserve to live in a nice place where I can spend my dollars on Colfax, eat at local restaurants and see people come into our community and spend dollars on our corner,” Belila said.
Belila points to Mango House, a business center for refugees and asylees that includes shops and restaurants, as an example of community businesses that reflect the area.
This year, Belila announced his candidacy for the Aurora Ward I council seat, which covers Northwest Aurora.
“We don’t want chain stores, we don’t want all those corporations, we want businesses and restaurants that represent the rich community that lives here,” Belila said.
In the past, PUMA had success in other areas of Colorado. Voters approved BIDs in Arvada and Lafayette.
As the plans continue to develop in this second phase, residents are hoping that improving business will start a domino effect that will improve residential living and reduce crime in the area.
As of now, PUMA will continue to operate in the community throughout June to find support for the next stage of its plan.
“When you bring in people that care about the community, who want to take care of the community, it really shows,” Nguyen said.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.