Contact:Paola Farer pfarer@coloradocoalition.org office 303-285-5252
DENVER (January 5, 2011) – The old Shuffle Inn, a former bikers’ bar on West Colfax Avenue and Zenobia Street in West Denver, has been closed and shuttered for years. The iconic sign towering over the old inn promotes “Cold Beer, Pool, Dancing and Food”. On Wednesday, a construction crew will begin demolishing the blighted building so that construction can begin on a new affordable housing development.
The one-acre site will be the future home of Renaissance West End Flats – a five story mixed-income housing development being built by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for formerly homeless and low-income families who otherwise could not afford to live in the area. Half of the 101 one-and two-bedroom apartments will be for people earning less than 30% of the Area Median Income ($24,000) including formerly homeless clients of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The other half will be for people earning up to 60% of the Area Median Income ($45,000).
“This is an exciting opportunity for the West Colfax neighborhood, the City of Denver, and Denver’s homeless population as this blighted building is transformed into a new housing community” said John Parvensky, president of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “This is a win-win-win solution for all involved.”
The new development will cost $17 million and is expected to bring $34 million into the local economy. This investment in the neighborhood is expected to spur other development along West Colfax and is supported by the West Colfax Business Improvement District and the West Colfax Association of Neighbors (WeCan).
“With the demolition of the Shuffle Inn, we will see the first high-density, mixed-use, transit- oriented redevelopment on West Colfax Avenue,” said Dan Shah, Director of Economic Development for the West Colfax Business Improvement District (BID). “This is exactly the kind of development that the West Colfax BID has sought for the corridor. We look to a fresh start for West Colfax in the New Year as this project gets underway.”
Renaissance West End Flats will be the Coalition’s 16th affordable housing development.
The Coalition will provide supportive services for formerly homeless residents on the property. It will be modeled after the Coalition’s Renaissance Off Broadway Lofts, Renaissance Riverfront Lofts developments, and it’s recently opened Renaissance Uptown Lofts at East Colfax and Pearl Street. The project will follow strict green building standards to minimize environmental impact during construction and maximize energy efficiencies in the completed building.
Financing for the new development is being provided by a combination of public and private funding and financing sources, including US Bank, US Bancorp Community Development Corporation, the City and County of Denver, Denver’s’ Road Home, The Colorado Division of Housing, and HUD.
Renaissance Housing Development Corporation (RHCD) is a subsidiary of the Colorado Coalition for the homeless. RHDC has developed more than 1,400 housing units in the Metro Denver area in the past 10 years. Our successful Renaissance Model is focused on integrating formerly homeless families and individuals into mixed income housing developments that enhance the neighborhoods in which they are located.
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to work towards the creation of lasting solutions for homeless families and individuals throughout Colorado. CCH provides a range of housing, emergency assistance, health care, mental health counseling and other supportive services to more than 16,000 homeless men, woman and children throughout Colorado each year. CCH will provide services for the formerly homeless residents of the property.
For more information on the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, please visit our website at www.coloradocoalition.org
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