The Golden Triangle neighborhood has always been a hotbed of creative activity in Denver, but now itap official.
The neighborhood last month was awarded status as a creative district by Colorado Creative Industries, which includes $40,000 in funding this year and marketing materials sent out by the organization.
“I think it will allow us to continue the growth in a way that not only develops the neighborhood, but ensuring that the arts, culture and creativity are key to everything that we do,” said Tariana Navas-Nieves, director of creative affairs for Denver Arts and Venues. Arts and Venues makes its home in the neighborhood at the McNichols Building in Civic Center park.
The neighborhood is bounded between Speer Boulevard, Lincoln Street and Colfax Avenue and contains some the city’s most iconic and culturally significant buildings and locations, including the City and County Building, Civic Center park, Denver Art Museum, McNichols Building and the main branch of the Denver Public Library. residents. And although it extends into the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the state Capitol building is part of the Golden Triangle designation.
A previous attempt to get creative district designation had failed, mainly because the neighborhood did not have a clear voice or focus. But that changed recently when the neighborhood formed the Golden Triangle Partnership, which will include residents, developers, business owners and all other neighborhood representatives. It will also absorb the existing neighborhood groups, including the Golden Triangle Association, the registered neighborhood organization.
“I think that was a wake-up call for the neighborhood,” consultant Jamie Licko said of the past failed attempt. “We needed a stronger coalition of stakeholders in neighborhood.”
Licko helped form the partnership and also worked with the .
“I think the residents are really excited to see the neighborhood go to the next level,” Licko said. “Itap a bit of a last frontier in the downtown core area that hasn’t received government support to move catalytic projects forward.”
The partnership will have nonprofit status and will manage the creative district. The hope is to have an annual budget of $150,000 per year and hire an executive director.
For the new creative designation, some of the first work the partnership will undertake will be to brand the district with signs and perhaps increase online presence and enhance the website. The partnership may also put up some way-finding signs to direct pedestrians to some of the neighborhood’s amenities.
Andrea Fulton, deputy director and chief marketing officer for Denver Art Museum, said she felt the timing was right for the neighborhood to come together and have a clear focus.
“It was time to think of this neighborhood as more than just the individual assets within it, but really as a combined destination,” she said.
Colorado Creative Industries director Margaret Hunt said that the creation of the partnership was a key reason the neighborhood received designation and now all creative districts are required to have a staff.
“Each year we have kind of raised the bar because of number of applications is rising,” Hunt said, adding that the neighborhood is really an ideal fit for a creative district. “Itap really an interesting blend. Almost like an epicenter in some ways of cultural activity in Denver.”
Resident Anne Lindsey has lived in the neighborhood since 2001 and is chair of the neighborhood organization’s urban design committee. The committee will be part of the Golden Triangle Partnership, and Lindsey said she is excited to continue collaborating with the businesses and other organizations in the neighborhood. She also likes enjoys all the events in the neighborhood ranging from the Westword Music Showcase to fireworks at Civic Center park.
“I think always itap fun to have activities that you can walk out the door and go to, it certainly adds to crowding, but most resident buildings have sufficient parking,” she said. “I adore the fact that itap so close to whatap downtown. Itap closer than a lot of people realize.”