Local affordable developers seek rezoning for apartment project in Denver’s Cole neighborhood

Denver’s Newest Apartment Project Pays Homage to Trams and Trolleys

Although trams and trolleys have been absent from Denver streets for 75 years, their legacy lives on in the city’s latest apartment development. Local income-restricted housing developers Medici Communities and the Urban Land Conservancy have joined forces to create a 63-unit income-restricted apartment building in the Cole neighborhood.

Located at the northwest corner of Gilpin Street and 35th Avenue, the building features a brick facade and sits on a 2.3-acre concrete pad. Adjacent to the Tramway Nonprofit Center, a 1930s tram and bus storage building, the new development aims to address the growing need for affordable housing in the rapidly gentrifying Cole neighborhood.

With a 99-year land lease agreement in place, Medici will construct a four-story complex that ensures the apartments remain income-restricted for years to come. However, the project has faced challenges, including zoning issues under the city’s outdated code.

The Denver Planning Board is set to review a rezoning application on July 16, paving the way for a custom zoning designation that will allow for the construction of the apartment building while preserving the historic tramway building next door.

Prior to the conservancy’s involvement, the block was owned by local philanthropist Chuck Phillips, whose family trust also owns the real estate for Wyatt Academy, a public charter school in the vicinity.

By honoring Phillips’ vision for affordable housing in the area, the developers are fulfilling a mission to create inclusive communities and provide much-needed housing options for Denver residents.

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