ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — There's a lot going on off of Hampden Ave just east of Downtown Englewood. Blocks are bustling with homes, apartments, shops, restaurants, Craig Hospital, Swedish Medical Center and plenty of traffic.
"The current structure of the corridor is very auto-centric," said Rachel Grafman, an engineer with Capital Projects.
The plan was driven in part by public feedback and hopes to address some of the long-standing issues in the area, particularly pedestrian and cyclist safety. It includes:
- 78 ADA sidewalk curb ramps
- Five enhanced bus stops, which will include shade structures, landscaping and benches
- 2,500 planters that will aid in stormwater efforts
- Three new rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons for crosswalks
- 4,100 linear feet of 10-feet-wide multi-use path
"It's important to the city that we introduce opportunities for people to use whatever mode of transportation suits them best," said Grafman.
The city said it's received concerns about how a proposed median and the narrowing of the road might impact the accessibility emergency vehicles have to the hospitals.
"Our response to that is, among other things, the ambulance access to Swedish, it's actually on Girard. So while there is ambulance activity here on Hampden, it's not the primary access point. We are hopeful that the ambulances will safely navigate anyone needing medical care to Swedish from Girard," said Grafman.
Grow + Gather is a popular restaurant and market right on the route.
"It's going to make this area beautiful and very up-to-date, and think it'll be great for all the businesses and residents in the area. It's the meantime that I'm concerned about," said Grow + Gather owner George Gastis, who is also a member of the Englewood Downtown Development Authority Board.
Currently, it can be tough to find street parking in the area.
"The hospital's hopping. We're hopping, all the businesses around here. There's still residents coming and going, and that's when things can get a little tricky and congested here," noted Gastis, who is worried about where all the construction crews are going to have to stage and what the impact will be on neighbors and customers trying to reach businesses.
Even when construction is done, Hampden is set to lose some street parking spots, including ones right outside of Gastis' restaurant.
"Hoping we can strike a good balance between good progress, beauty and all the things they're trying to do, and the least amount of interruption to the people who live and work here," said Gastis.
City officials say the construction would be in different phases in an attempt to minimize the negative impact. The entire stretch of road will not be shut down at one time. They expect construction for the entire stretch to take about a year.
"The 90% plans are due to the city right around Thanksgiving. We'll be reviewing them internally and providing comments to the designer," said Grafman.
If signed off by the Englewood City Council, planners will start coordinating with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), with construction expected to begin in the summer of 2025.
As of right now, the total estimated cost is around $8 million. A Transportation Improvement Project grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments is covering 80% of the cost, the City of Englewood is paying for the other 20%.
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