The 96-acre Arapahoe Square neighborhood has been designated an Urban Redevelopment Area (URA) in an effort to catalyze development.
Arapahoe Square is one of the seven transformative projects outlined in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan. In 2011, the 96-acre Arapahoe Square neighborhood was designated an Urban Redevelopment Area (URA) in an effort to catalyze development, reduce blight, and make Arapahoe Square Denver’s next up-and-coming neighborhood.
Arapahoe Square is in close proximity to Downtown Denver and has great redevelopment potential. Currently, the area is covered in surface parking lots and presents certain obstacles to its reinvigoration, including the concentration of social services and homeless shelters.
Planning efforts for the area began when Denver City Council approved the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan (NEDN Plan) following 18 months of public outreach and input, and a public hearing on May 23, 2011. The NEDN Plan creates a vision for the future of Northeast Downtown Denver neighborhoods, including Arapahoe Square, and identifies a variety of potential tools for helping to revitalize the area.
One of the key recommendations of the NEDN Plan was to establish an Urban Redevelopment Area for Arapahoe Square. After many months of outreach, research, and analysis, DURA presented the Arapahoe Square Urban Redevelopment Plan (the Plan) to City Council on June 27, 2011. Following a public hearing that same evening, City Council voted to approve the Plan.
Although the Plan does not include any specific projects at this time, the approval of the Plan authorized the creation of the Arapahoe Square Urban Redevelopment Area (URA). The URA allows for the future use of tax increment financing (TIF) to provide financial assistance to projects that would further the goals and objectives of the Plan. The URA is comprised of approximately 96 acres, encompasses all or portions of 26 city blocks, and is situated immediately to the northeast of downtown Denver. The URA is bounded by 20th Street on the west, California Street on the south, 24th Street on the east and the alIey between Lawrence Street and Larimer Street on the north. In June of 2016, the Denver City Council approved dramatic zoning changes that allow buildings up to 30 stories if the project meets certain criteria.
The Plan seeks to further the goals identified in Denver Comprehensive Plans 2000, Blueprint Denver, 2007 Downtown Area Plan, and the Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan.