To see words like economic revitalization, gentrification and displacement come to life, just head over to Five Points.
On Welton Street, the main artery of the historic Black neighborhood, you’ll see fusions of abandoned buildings among trendy cocktail bars; like the Roxy, a 90-year old theatre that sits adjacent to newly constructed condos. The juxtaposition is startling, with intentional infusions of history placed throughout the district as it attempts to step into the future without forgetting its remarkable past.
Gentrification is not representative of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, as it often leads to displacement and increased economic inequality, contradicting everything the civil rights leader advocated for, like the principles of justice, equality and community empowerment.
For those working to renew the culturally and historically significant area, there is a critical need to ensure that its existing community reaps the benefits of the ongoing transformation.
Real estate developers, business owners and longtime residents share a common interest in the place where they work and live. Therefore, in the interest of working toward the greater good, a collaborative, “whole-system” approach is being taken to revitalize historic spaces, improve conditions for original inhabitants and welcome new neighbors to one of Denver’s most evolved areas.
Beyond economic development, the Five Points Business Improvement District (BID) is working to ensure that considerations are made for education, transportation, safety and intergenerational wellness.
A Balancing Act
BID is a nonprofit organization that monitors the ten-block Welton Street corridor. Its mission is to strengthen and enhance the efforts of business and property owners who live, work in or contribute to the neighborhood.
“I think the number one challenge for BID is retaining and recruiting businesses,” says BID Board Chair, Haroun Cowans. “When people from the community are a part of the decisions and a part of how the community gets cultivated, we can retain its cultural heritage and still revitalize in a way that is cultivating rather than being transitioned.”
Too often, economic growth in an area like Five Points prioritizes the economy over equity. BID’s job is to ensure that the area attracts new business without causing hardships for current tenants or ignoring the needs of residents living nearby.
The vision articulated in King’s recorded vision for the future of America emphasized racial equality, social justice and the creation of integrated, fair and equal opportunities for all, regardless of race or class. He believed in a society where people were not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Instead of silencing marginalized communities, his vision outlined a world where economic opportunity and social mobility were accessible to all.
Yet, in the midst of Five Points’ transition, some fear that the concerns voiced by original residents are going unheard while the area’s history is at risk of being forgotten.
Former Glory
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Denver sits between the boundaries of 20th Avenue and 20th Street to the south; the Platte River and 38th Street to the north; and Downing Street to the east. It includes the River North Arts District (RiNo), and borders the central business district.
The area’s moniker was established in 1881, derived from a streetcar stop at a centrally located intersection where several streets converged.
Once a sanctuary for the Black community, Five Points was home to churches, schools, hotels, restaurants, drugstores and Black-owned meeting spaces. As a result of segregation in the 1920s, more than 90% of the city’s Black residents lived there and in the Whittier neighborhood directly to the east.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Five Points continued to serve as the seat of Denver’s Black community. It was dubbed “Harlem of the West,” in acknowledgment of its thriving jazz scene, which welcomed legendary musicians like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.
Today, upscale coffee shops and craft microbreweries sit in spaces once occupied by Black-owned businesses; art galleries occupy former warehouses and numerous buildings have been bulldozed to make way for modern condominiums and renovated mini-mansions.
“I remember going to the movies as a family and seeing ‘Robin and the 7 Hoods’ at the Roxy,” says Viola Nathan, “It only cost $0.25 for kids back then.”
Nathan, 74, grew up in apartments near 28th and California during the 1960s, but currently lives in Park Hill.
“I visited Five Points recently, and it was missing the atmosphere of joy,” she says. “I was a bit disappointed there wasn’t the feeling of true community.”
Nathan is not alone in her disappointment regarding changes within the Five Points district. The intersection where business once boomed now sits silent – a ghost of its former self.
Digging Up the Roots
Having faced challenges spanning from its former glory years to now, members of the Five Points community are engaged in a lengthy fight to ensure that the historic district maintains its unique identity. However, with gentrification at the root of the vast displacement of Black residents, preserving the culture of the community’s past is no easy task.
According to the University of Colorado Denver’s Historical Studies Journal, “The first phase [of gentrification] involves “pioneering” gentrifiers who move into a neighborhood in search of cheaper rent.”
In Five Points, the process of gentrification began long before then.
Ironically, desegregation of Denver’s neighborhoods and legislature preventing the discriminatory practice of redlining created opportunities for Black homebuyers to acquire homes in other neighborhoods. The Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archives states that in 1959, the district’s population was 32,000; by 1974, it had declined to 8,700.
By the 1990s, Five Points was still home to a predominantly Black population, but increased criminal activity related to drugs and gangs propelled the migration away from the urban hub. Combined with a decline of Black-owned business due to the diminished population and retirement of elderly entrepreneurs, the area became blighted and lost its distinctive flair.
Boarded doors and broken windows lined the streets, and despite the efforts of Black real estate developers like Carl Bourgeois, who saved many historic buildings from being demolished, property values remained low.
Eventually, investors recognized the value of the neighborhood’s proximity to the downtown district, and began buying up properties at rock-bottom rates. New residents changed the face of Five Points, and instead of embracing its rich cultural history, the community cohesion and shared human dignity that outlined King’s dream was wiped away.
A New Era
Displacement undermines the idea of equality and access to housing for all, especially the low-income and Black communities that King sought to uplift.
As Five Points’ allure of authentic, affordable homes increased, so did the number of young, wealthy white residents, resulting in an immediate surge of property values.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the area is now home to approximately 22,000 people – 61% are white, 25 to 34-year olds living in homes ranging from mid-$300,000 to $1.3 million.
Identified as one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Denver, efforts to protect Five Points’ cultural legacy did not keep pace with actions that transformed the area into something largely unrecognizable, save for a number of symbolic nods to its history.
Reaching Back & Moving Forward
“Five Points is rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit,” says Cowans. “Now we need to create an active space that speaks to the vibrancy of the neighborhood.”
Having grown up in Five Points, Cowans is making a concerted effort to prevent the history and cultural legacy of his home from being wiped out, while remaining intentional about BID’s direction.
Revitalizing a historic neighborhood requires careful efforts to preserve its character while addressing the changing needs of residents and business owners. For Cowans, incentivizing business operations along the Welton Street corridor is a top priority, in addition to creating opportunities for people who were displaced or who cannot afford the skyrocketing rents to return to the area.
As the owner and CEO of Goshen Development, he and other real estate developers are taking a creative approach to affordable housing while paying tribute to noteworthy Black people.
“We cannot allow Denver to become a city where only the wealthy can afford to own a home,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston during the October groundbreaking of an innovative housing project in Five Points.
Johnston, HOST, partners from the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT), Shanahan Development and community members celebrated the anticipated arrival of The Hattie McDaniel, a new affordable condo development named after an East High School Alum and the first Black woman to win an Oscar.
In June, Nest56 at Denargo Market, delivered 56 units of affordable, supportive housing for youth, ages 18 to 24, who are experiencing homelessness or transitioning out of foster care.
Another affordable condominium, The Burrell, named for Colorado jazz icon, Charles Burrell, offers 49 income-restricted units for households earning at or below 80% of the median income. The Hooper, a large, multi-use apartment building, pays tribute to a Black business tycoon who owned a hotel for Black servicemen in the 1920s.
Cowans is focused on efforts that address the “missing middle,” or residents making 60% to 120% of the area’s median income, with workforce housing.
“It’s not the 60% and below area median income,” he told Denver Business Journal last summer. “We call it workforce [housing] because a lot of the folks that have been engaged in looking to rent, or even purchase in [that AMI range], haven’t been getting any of that relief over the last 10 years.”
With affordable housing named for historically relevant individuals with Colorado connections, a return to Five Points means a return to a changed economic landscape and a world of new opportunity.
Business As Usual
Businesses operated by diverse owners now line Welton Street, representing a cultural shift and an economy that is picking up after decades of neglect.
Entertainment venues, pizza parlors, barbershops, thrift stores and wellness centers house hopeful proprietors, with the newly-renovated Blair Caldwell African American Research Library sitting at the entrance of the corridor.
Welton Street Cafe, which has a long and storied history as a popular soul food establishment in Five Points, has returned after a years-long absence. Co-owner Fathima Dickerson embraces the increased diversity and is enjoying the patronage of new neighbors.
“What makes Welton Street Cafe so unique is that it’s inclusive of everyone, no matter what your race is, your age, any type of identifier or social status. [It’s] always a place that will have that diversity and inclusiveness,” she says.
For Risë Jones, owner of Tea Lee’s Tea House and Bookstore, the transformation of the district represents an opportunity to thrive in the place she’s called home all her life.
She says, “This has always been my community, from Five Points all the way up to Park Hill. I wanted a business in the neighborhood where I was raised.”
As BID looks to bring more business to the area, its arts and cultural attractions remain rooted in history, inviting people from all walks of life to enjoy the corridor’s offerings of food, festivals and fun throughout the summer months.
A Dream Realized Through Revitalization
Five Points has undergone a tremendous cultural shift, though its identity remains steeped in a historic, cultural legacy that devoted developers, city leaders and community members are committed to keeping alive.
Indeed, the renewal of Five Points may be the perfect demonstration of King’s dream for integration, equality, justice and community solidarity. Through drastic changes, it has become a place where people of all ages, races and walks of life can live, work and thrive.
“Cultural heritage is so important to not only the history of Five Points, but also to its future,” says Cowans.
To ensure the future is just as remarkable as its past, vested entities such as BID are orchestrating Five Points’ development in an inclusive and equitable way, while being mindful of the need to preserve the dignity and rights of the historic community and its long-standing residents.
For Nathan, King’s dream serves as a guiding vision for the neighborhood – one that will ultimately restore the joy and community she knows and loves.
“I still hold onto King’s dream and I will as long as I can,” she smiles. “It’s a beautiful dream.”.
Editor’s note: To learn more about the Five Points Business Improvement District (BID), visit www.fivepointsbid.com.
