Denver mayor outlines plan to turn former industrial site into neighborhood

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston outlined the plan Wednesday for the Fox Park Development which will turn a former industrial site into a new neighborhood. The 41-acre development is in Denver's Globeville neighborhood located on North Fox Street, west of I-25 and south of I-70.

Johnston said the public-private partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency spent $40 million to clean up the once-industrial site and build a neighborhood. A portion of the site was part of one of Denver's last remaining Superfund sites located near the I-25 and I-70 interchange. More than 470,000 cubic yards of contaminated dirt was removed from the site.

"Transforming contaminated properties into community assets is a fundamental goal for Superfund cleanups, and today we celebrate a reuse success that has been a long time in the making," said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker in a statement.

"A tremendous amount of soil and groundwater cleanup has been completed at the Vasquez Boulevard & Interstate 70 site over the past three decades to make this area accessible for people and businesses. It is gratifying to see these extensive efforts result in a multi-faceted redevelopment that will bring new life and energy to North Denver."

The site was home to the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company's Argo Smelter which operated for nearly a century. The company left behind pollution, hazardous waste and environmental impacts on the community, according to the Denver Mayor's Office.

"We'll take a blighted area of the city and turn it into a bright and vibrant spot for people to come and work and live and play," said Johnston.

Once built, Fox Park should have 3,000 new affordable housing units which is expected to ease the housing crisis in Denver. It's located next to the 41st and Fox RTD commuter rail station.

Construction on the buildings, parks and office space is scheduled to begin next year. When completed, the neighborhood is expected to have commercial space, mixed-income housing units, hotels, parks, plazas and open space.