COMMERCE CITY —City officials want to develop a new image by reaching into Commerce City’s past.
City planning and development staff put the finishing touches on a historic preservation plan last month after more than two years of research and drafting. Now, it’s scheduled for adoption by City Council in early January.
The plan is the first step to things like historic building designation. Many community members see that as a rite of passage for the evolving image of Commerce City, which officially became a city in 1962.
“The plan is supposed to serve as a guiding document for historic preservation efforts,” said city planner Paul Workman. “This allows us to retain an identity that our residents can be proud of. It’s an initial step into preserving our community.”
In addition to pride and preservation, the plan also lays the framework for economic redevelopment opportunities.
According to , rehabilitation and reuse of historic buildings often stimulates the local economy and provides space for new businesses.
One area under consideration is the 1.5-square-mile Derby neighborhood near 72nd Avenue and Colorado 2. Derby was designated as an urban renewal area in 2009 by the city and has received around $1 million in infrastructure improvements to date.
Debra Bullock, treasurer of the Commerce City Historical Society, said the town began as a humble railroad hub around the 1860s.
“We just finished the (two-year) Derby survey at the beginning of December,” Bullock, 59, said. “We want to develop a Derby historic district, and in order to do that you have to first make sure there is a certain percent of the buildings which are still historic.”
Despite the exterior renovations over the past five years, Bullock said there are enough buildings, including the Metropolitan State Bank (now Key Bank), that have managed to remain more or less true to their original design. That percentage is also important for property values, which typically rise in areas that become historic districts.
“It’s evolving,” said Commerce City spokeswoman Michelle Halstead. “Derby is a great location near the new light rail station and Greyhound Park redevelopment. We’re taking (the history) into consideration to see how it can all weave in to community revitalization.”
The history of Derby — from 1862 to 1962 — is one of the ‘s first regional exhibits, and is on display now at the museum at 6505 E. 60th Ave.
“I remember when Derby was a very bustling town,” said Esther Hall, 67, vice-president of the Commerce City Historical Society.”You did all your shopping in Derby. If you wanted clothes, appliances, entertainment, you didn’t have to go far. We were really self sufficient. I’d say the best years were from 1950 to ’75.”
But that doesn’t mean that Derby is past its prime.
“The Derby of the 1950s is very different than the Derby today,” Halstead said. “It’s certainly in need of revitalization, but there’s still a thriving small business community of which there are a lot of Hispanic-based businesses, and a lot of nonprofits in the area. It has a great deal of potential.”
Much of that potential lies in the neighborhood’s preservation.
Workman said: “Derby is one of those areas where we have identified things that are valuable to our community and that warrant early work to determine their significance and how best to honor it as we move forward.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp
