This week, in a ceremony featuring remarks by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Pinkard Construction, a Lakewood-based general contractor, and Urban Land Conservancy, a Denver-based nonprofit real estate organization, broke ground on The Irving at Mile High Vista.
Located at 3270 W. Colfax Ave, the new structure will add 102 affordable apartments (studios and one-, two- and three-bedrooms) to the West Colfax neighborhood, serving households making 20-80% of the area median income (AMI). With funding from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), RBC, the State of Colorado, and the City and County of Denver, among others, it is one of the first developments to use Prop 123 affordable-housing financing approved by Colorado voters in 2022.
“This is a combination between a partnership with the state leadership, with the city leadership, with CHFA, with our Prop 123 funds, and with amazing community partners like the Urban Land Conservancy,” Mayor Johnston said in his remarks, “all of whom have come together to make sure Denver remains a place where, yes, we can have one of the fastest growing economies in the country, but also a place where, when you drop your second grader off at school, and that second grade teacher picks her up in their arms, that teacher can still afford to live in this neighborhood.”
The Irving will use renewable energy, and highly efficient heat pumps for heating and cooling, as well as a rooftop solar array — all to support a cleaner, more sustainable environment inside and out. The project is expected to meet or exceed National Green Building Standards (NGBS). Other climate-friendly features include energy-efficient appliances and lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, water-efficient landscaping and electric vehicle charging stations.
In 2011, Urban Land Conservancy purchased the 2-acre site where the Denver Public Library’s Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch and Del Norte’s affordable Avondale Apartments are located today. The Irving is the third and final parcel at Mile High Vista to be developed.
"The Irving is the culmination of the community’s long-term vision for Mile High Vista, a mixed-use development that offers affordable housing and library services," said Sarah Harman, senior vice president of real estate at ULC. “Because of the ongoing displacement of longtime residents in the West Colfax neighborhood, we believe it’s more important than ever to deliver affordable housing here.”
The building was designed by Studio Completiva. With construction beginning now, Pinkard expects to complete the building by mid-2025.
"We are thrilled to partner with ULC on this important project that will provide much-needed affordable housing for Denver residents," said Tony Burke, president of Pinkard Construction. "We share their vision of creating equitable and sustainable communities through quality construction."
Learn more about The Irving at urbanlandc.org/irving-mile-high-vista.
