denver youth shelter to build upwards

A project that will see the building of five floors on the top of an existing structure for homeless youth in Denver has won a new zoning designation.

The nonprofit organization Urban Peak, which is dedicated to assisting Denver’s young homeless, several months ago said it wanted to build a facility that would include space for apartments, transitional housing, and offices.

Now plans have moved forward for an add-on that will house 60 units for permanent housing, along with enough space for 40 shelter beds.

Although members of the Platt Park People’s Association, representing a nearby neighborhood, complained that the proposed structure is too tall for the area, the Denver City Council ultimately voted in favor of a zoning change for the project.

That change will take the site at 1630 S. Acoma Street from multi-unit residential to industrial mixed use.

Designed by the Denver-based Shopworks Architecture, the project, in a neighborhood made up partly of residential housing, apartments, and warehouses, does not yet have a construction schedule.

Urban Peak, founded in 1988, helps youths aged 15 to 24, transitioning them from homelessness to a more stable living environment. The organization provides both short and long-term housing, as well as educational programs and employment counseling.

By Garry Boulard

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