3270 W Colfax Avenue
Urban Land Conservancy marked the opening of The Irving, a new permanently affordable 102 unit housing community in Denver’s West Colfax neighborhood.
A ribbon cutting held Jan. 22 brought together Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, state housing leaders, project partners, and community members to celebrate one of the first housing developments funded through Proposition 123, the voter approved statewide affordable housing initiative. The Irving will serve households earning between 20%-80% of area median income, with affordability guaranteed for at least 99 years through Urban Land Conservancy’s community land trust model. The project is currently 26% leased.
We attended the ribbon cutting, which saw strong turnout from stakeholders and curious neighbors.
The all electric multifamily building sits next to the Denver Public Library’s Corky Gonzales Branch, connecting residents to educational resources and neighborhood services. The project includes rooftop solar, heat pump heating and cooling, ENERGY STAR rated appliances, electric vehicle charging and water efficient landscaping. The building exceeds National Green Building Standards and incorporates universal and trauma informed design principles.
A manager from Pinkard Construction provided a tour of the property, highlighting energy efficient features throughout the building, from appliances to rooftop solar. Construction took a total of 18 months, including a 6 month delay early in the process after crews discovered ground contamination once excavation began. The team rebounded and completed the project in 12 months of active construction.
Residents will have access to rooftop city and mountain views, with select units also offering views of downtown and Empower Field.
“This is exactly the kind of project that Proposition 123 was designed to support,” Johnston said. “We want a Denver where people who work here can afford to live here.”
The Irving is Urban Land Conservancy’s first ground up affordable housing development. The nonprofit acquired the 2 acre West Colfax site in 2010 and held the land for more than a decade to ensure it could be developed with long term affordability.
Since 2003, Urban Land Conservancy has invested in more than 50 properties across the Denver metro area, using community land trusts and land banking strategies to prevent displacement and preserve affordability.
