Жители Джефферсон-парка выступили против высотного жилого комплекса на месте детского сада

The corner of Federal and 22nd may be a harbinger of what’s to come for Jefferson Park. Global real estate firm Kennedy Wilson is seeking to rezone the 1.7-acre lot at 2246 Federal Blvd. so it can build a seven-story apartment complex. The 242-unit building would include 9,000 square feet of retail space along the busy thoroughfare. The Denver Planning Board, which reviews rezonings before the city council does, advanced the rezoning application unanimously last week. But many neighbors and residents spoke in opposition at the meeting. “Seven stories of building, surrounded by three-story buildings as far as the eye can see from that location, does not serve current and future generations well. It kind of rises like a middle finger to our community,” Jefferson Park resident Josh Rosenblum said at the meeting. The neighborhood, sandwiched between Mile High stadium to the south and Speer Boulevard and the Highlands to the north, consists largely of low-rise residential and neighborhood retail. Much of its density is concentrated on the east side, overlooking Interstate 25 and downtown. But Mile High is slated to be redeveloped in the next decade, when the Broncos move to a new stadium at Burnham Yard. The state, meanwhile, is considering building a bus rapid transit project along Federal Boulevard, much like the one underway on East Colfax. “The BRT will be in effect about the same time this building opens, and density is smarter for water conservation and lots of other policies,” said Bruce O’Donnell, a consultant for the apartment developer. That sentiment was echoed by Andrew Weller, a young resident of the 12-story Alcott complex near the highway. He took to the lectern during public comment donning a Penn State polo shirt. “The people who would live in these homes can’t necessarily be in the room here today. As a renter myself in the neighborhood, I urge you to be in support of this rezoning,” he said. The property is currently a single-story, 34,800-square-foot building, home to the Family Star Montessori School. It purchased the site in 2000 for $1.3 million and is under contract to sell it to Kennedy Wilson, according to the school’s website. A move to a new campus in Lakewood is planned. “This is not displacement for us,” said Family Star Chief Operations Officer Jasmine Rougely. She added that many of the children the school serves don’t live nearby. “We made a deliberate decision to move because we believe this new home will allow us to serve children, families, educators and the broader community even better,” Rougely said. “The approval of the rezoning of this property is integral to achieving our goal of acquiring a new facility.” Neighbors, meanwhile, lamented the impending loss of the childcare provider, which serves infants through six-year-olds. They point their fingers at the developer. Kennedy Wilson is seeking a rezoning of up to five stories on the site, but is planning to build seven due to a city ordinance that allows extra height if more income-restricted housing is included in the project. “We’re losing a space for children and families. If those community service uses are not being replaced, then what is the public benefit that justifies the additional stories? I personally don’t see it,” resident Katya Makarewicz said at the meeting. Her neighbor and former city councilman, Rafael Espinoza, echoed those concerns. He was on the steering committee that drafted the neighborhood’s small area plan, a document outlining recommendations on future growth for Jeff Park. “There is zero language in the area plan that supports seven-story rezoning,” he said. But board vice chair Fred Glick noted that the neighborhood plan does show a maximum of seven stories at 22nd and Federal. He also said it’s possible that childcare could take part of the ground-floor commercial space. “When we speak of public interest, it’s very important to recognize that we are speaking of the interest of not just the adjacent neighbors existing, but a broader public interest of the people of Denver. And I appreciate the commenters who mentioned those who are not at the table now, who are potentially future residents of a building that might get developed here.” Read more from our partner, BusinessDen. Get more business news by signing up for our Economy Now newsletter.