DENVER — The City of Denver has received $2.65 million in federal funding to support four community projects, the city's Department of Finance announced Tuesday.
The funding was awarded following a request from Denver's Congressional delegation — U.S. Representative Diana DeGette, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.
“This funding is instrumental in delivering on our promise for a vibrant Denver,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our congressional delegation and look forward to our continued partnership as we work to bring even greater investment to Denver communities.”
The funding will aid in four community projects:
- The construction of the new recreation center in Denver's Westwood neighborhood
- The design and construction of a new Denver Fire Department station in far northeast Denver
- The creation of a master electrification plan for Denver International Airport
- Environmental remediation at the former Denver Public Schools (DPS) Bus Barn
The recreation center will receive the most funding from the grant — $1 million. City officials said the center will be among the first public amenities to make Morrison Road a community hub. The center also received $37.5 million through the Elevate Denver bond program, which was approved by Denver voters in 2017.
The city will use $850,000 to design and construct a new fire station along the Tower Road corridor between 56th Avenue and Peña Boulevard. Officials said it will address the lack of emergency coverage in northeast Denver while allowing Denver Fire to provide backup support for the Denver International Airport. The project also received $13.2 million through the Elevate Denver bond program.
The city will use $300,000 to create a master electrification plan for the airport to increase the use of cleaner forms of energy and reduce emissions, officials said.
Lastly, the remaining $500,000 will support an environmental remediation demonstration project at the former DPS Bus Barn. The site previously served as an aggregate quarry and historic urban fill site from 1932 to the mid-1960s, according to the city. City officials said the project will test a new approach that, if successful, "will create significant savings on transportation and disposal costs." Details of the approach were not provided.
