Home prices in Denver’s Overland Park neighborhood are on the rise as homebuyers and developers realize the centrally located area’s potential, despite being wedged between major industrial parks and bisected by a busy highway and train tracks.
Bounded by West Mississippi Avenue to the north, South Broadway to the east, West Yale Avenue to the south and the South Platte River to the west, the working-class neighborhood – a mix of residential streets, bustling commercial districts and major industrial parks – was home to Denver’s first recorded settlement in 1858.
And now, with several of Overland Park’s larger industrial areas being rezoned, its landscape could be significantly altered. Major projects in the works include the redevelopment of the Shattuck Superfund site and a transit-oriented development at the Evans light-rail station.
“It’s still a little bit of an urban pioneer territory,” said Denver City Councilman Chris Nevitt, who represents the district. “In many ways it’s kind of a hidden jewel, but I don’t think it’s going to remain undiscovered much longer.”
“It’s a good market”
According to real-estate website , the average house in Overland Park sold for $169,225 in the third quarter of this year, up from $128,982 during the same period in 2002.
Guillermo Martinez, of Cherry Creek GMAC Real Estate and who has several listings in Overland Park, said he believes the average home in the area sells for about $140,000.
“There are a lot of foreclosures and a lot of lender-owned properties, which is hurting the neighborhood,” he said. “But it’s a good market because you can still buy properties at really low prices.”
Consisting of mostly single-story ranches and bungalows, along with a handful of Victorians and Denver Squares, the neighborhood is home to roughly 2,000 residents. In 2000, about 45 percent of Overland Park properties were rentals, according to the city.
“We like to advertise ourselves as a starter neighborhood because we have so many … small, little bungalows that are perfect for a family just starting out,” said Catherine Sandy, president of the Overland Park Neighborhood Association. “We’re a launching pad, and we’re quite happy about that.”
One of the neighborhood’s biggest success stories has been the cleanup of the 6-acre Shattuck Superfund site along South Bannock Street. The neighborhood fought the federal government for more than two decades to clean up the low-level radioactive waste left behind by the Shattuck Chemical Co.
The work was completed last year.
“Having a radioactive dump in our neighborhood made no sense from a health and environmental standpoint but also from an economic standpoint,” said Jack Unruh, a longtime Overland resident who was actively involved in the fight. “This is an underutilized area in the center of town. I’m rooting for the highest and best use for it.”
Denver developer Jon Cook, who purchased the Shattuck land along with the former Kroonenberg Lumber Co. site, is planning a major mixed-use residential and commercial development there.
“It’s a gem of an area, mainly because of its great central location,” said Cook, who declined to further detail his plans. “We want to make sure we do this right.”
A network of natural areas
One of Overland Park’s top residential amenities is the network of parks, trails and open-space areas that runs along its western border, the South Platte River.
That includes Grant-Frontier Park, just south of West Evans Avenue, which is believed to be the original location of Montana City, Denver’s first Anglo settlement. Gold-seekers from Kansas settled the area in 1858 but abandoned it after a year.
Also, the neighborhood is home to historic Overland Park Golf Course. In 1895, Overland became the first golf course west of the Mississippi River, according to golf-course superintendent John Stachowski.
The course has been used as an auto-racing strip, an airfield and a campground. The land was purchased by the city and county of Denver in 1919. Today, more than 70,000 golfers play the course annually.
The city is in the process of renovating the miniature golf course and driving range just north of the course, including adding a new clubhouse.
The facility is scheduled to reopen by Memorial Day.
“There is a lot of history in this area,” said Stachowski. “The neighborhood is definitely improving; more people are renovating their properties. That’s going to help the whole area.”
About Overland Park
Location: Bordered by West Mississippi Avenue to the north, South Broadway to the east, West Yale Avenue to the south and the South Platte River to the west
Who’s moving in: First-time homebuyers, young families looking for affordable housing, and developers
Current average home price: $169,225
Public schools: McKinley-Thatcher Elementary School, Rosedale Elementary School, Grant Middle School, South High School
Amenities: Overland Park Golf Course; numerous parks, trails and open- space areas along the South Platte River; active neighborhood association
Complaints: Large industrial zones, high traffic noise, no pedestrian connectivity across South Santa Fe Drive, high percentage of rental properties and high foreclosure rates
Little-known facts: Grant-Frontier Park, off West Evans Avenue along the South Platte River, is believed to be the location of Montana City, Denver’s first Anglo settlement. The Overland golf course was the first west of the Mississippi River when it opened in 1895.
Sources: city and county of Denver, , Overland Park Neighborhood Association
