The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday said Denver will get $10 million to continue redevelopment of the South Lincoln Park Homes.
HUD director Shaun Donovan announced the results of a competitive grant process in which $1 billion in Recovery Act money will be given to public-housing agencies that are doing a good job using “green” materials and technologies to improve public housing.
Improving access to low-cost transit and community services are also among the improvements the Denver Housing Authority has planned for South Lincoln Park, which is near the light-rail station at West 10th Avenue and Osage Street.
DHA development director Christopher Parr said he hopes to be breaking ground on the project in one year.
On Friday, HUD announced the first $300 million in grants, made to 36 public-housing agencies across the country. The pool is being administered by the Sustainability Initiative — a joint venture of HUD, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper joined Donovan, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the White House director of urban affairs Adolfo Carrion on a tour of South Lincoln Park on Friday morning.
“The grants being awarded today are a perfect example of using the Recovery Act to rebuild the economy stronger and wiser by investing in new and emerging sustainable industries,” Donovan said after the tour.
Donovan, Jackson and LaHood have been touring similar communities across the country.
The Hickenlooper administration has been working closely with the three agencies for the past six months.
Residents expressed mixed feelings about changes to South Lincoln Park, which will include increased density.
Juanita Vigil, who has lived at South Lincoln Park for seven years, said she is excited about the grant and the upcoming redevelopment.
Vigil said her neighbors feel the same.
But Ronald Roybal, who has lived in Denver for 60 years, said he was concerned that the strong Latino heritage of South Lincoln Park could be lost in the renovations.
“It will be up to the community to make sure that this doesn’t happen. If not, it will happen,” Roybal said during a community forum Friday afternoon.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1638 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
