URBAN UPDATES
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
- L.M. Montgomery
October | 2021
Impact East Colfax Initiative Kick Off
Impact East Colfax is a collaboration between ULC and The Fax Partnership (The Fax) to build equitable, affordable commercial and residential developments on the East Colfax corridor. On September 30, ULC and The Fax were excited to launch two community steering committees (one in Denver and one in Aurora) to guide the development processes. These individuals, selected from an open application process, include East Colfax residents and business owners as well as subject matter experts who care deeply about the future of the East Colfax community. They will each serve a two-year term. They are Abraham Tesfamichile, Alex Marqusee, Andrea Miller, April Chase, Benjamin Moore, Bertha Moran Omelas, Brad Revare, Che Derrera, Christian Steward, Diana Olvera, Donnie Betts, Gabriel Romero, Gabriela Jacobo, Jami Horwitz, Jesus Gonzales, Jordan Block, Katie Goldman, Laura Allen-Hatcher, Lindsay Miller, Marisela Sandoval, Mary Beth Susman, Michele Tonti, Mohammed Said, Monica Hernandez, Orman L Toko, Robert Martin Jr., Robin Fleischmann, Sean Garvey, and Tricia Allen. 
A Block Party to Remember
On Friday, September 24, ULC was proud to host a Block Party at the Park Hill Campus (formerly Johnson & Wales University), in partnership with Denver School the Arts (DSA). The evening consisted of performances by DSA students, food trucks and vendors, community-member engagement with ULC and other Park Hill Campus partners, and a final performance from Tuba Skinny, a New Orleans jazz band. Thank you to all who came out to the celebration, and a special thanks to our sponsors Northern Trust and FirstBank! Click here to see the photo gallery For more information about the Park Hill Campus, click here

Partner Spotlight: The Kitchen Network
The Culinary Arts building at the Park Hill Campus (former Johnson & Wales University) is a world-class asset in the heart of Denver. The building contains 13 state-of-the-art culinary kitchens with a wide range of specialties, including industrial ovens, dining rooms, and even microbiology hoods that can be used for gastronomy. So when Urban Land Conservancy acquired the east side of the Campus, we knew we had to find the perfect partner to utilize this culinary asset. In the summer of 2021, ULC successfully signed a lease with The Kitchen Network as the lead tenant.
The Kitchen Network is Denver’s longest-running shared kitchen, with 24/7 operations. Each year they incubate more than 150 specialty food businesses, most of which are run by people of color. Their primary kitchen operates in the Westwood neighborhood and is a 12,000-square-foot facility that includes 11 private commercial kitchens and a 2,500-square-foot commissary. With the Kitchen Network’s expansion to the Park Hill Campus, they have significantly expanded their operational capacity on the Northeast side of Denver. 
The Kitchen Network is a case study for workforce development and a kitchen incubator that forms a support business ecosystem. They guide culinary business hopefuls throughout the whole process of starting a business: beginning with an idea and ending with a career. In addition, they offer assistance with tedious and often tricky requirements like government processes, scaling, permitting, business planning, and more. They believe that great chefs and innovative ideas will thrive in today’s food-savvy market, which is why it is their objective to make starting a specialty food business accessible. Starting their consulting process with educated and experienced staff provides culinary hopefuls with a premier commercial kitchen that allows them to scale production while also providing the flexibility to absorb the risk of starting a new business. 


(above photo of Emani, Noah, and Jenna from Food Business Consulting, Kitchen Network's partner)
Wyatt Academy and the HarvestShare
On September 18, the Cole Neighborhood successfully hosted HarvestShare: a community gathering where people bring excess harvest from their gardens to share with neighbors and heal the community by engaging in Health Eating Active Living activities. Cole is of the many neighborhoods ULC is proud to work with. Located in Northeast Denver, it has a rich history, diverse residents, and many community assets. 

Wyatt Academy and the Tramway Nonprofit Center are two of the neighborhood organizations with close ties to ULC. Wyatt is a Title I school, where 90% of the families qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, and 94% are students of color. "Wyatt has worked incredibly hard to close the achievement gap and is now a Green School, under the State Framework, making it one of the best schools in northeast Denver," said Aaron Miripol, ULC's President & CEO. “There are also a couple of Wyatt families that have moved into ULC’s affordable apartments at Walnut Flats!” See the video below to learn more about Walnut Flats. 
ULC's Walnut Flats Community
ULC was honored to receive a prestigious 2021 Eagle Award for our work at Walnut Flats, an affordable housing project in the Cole Neighborhood. The Eagle Awards, hosted by Housing Colorado, represents the highest achievement in the Colorado housing community. 

To learn more about Walnut Flats, watch the video produced by The Lion Project below!
Congrats to ULC's Aaron Martinez!
ULC is excited to announce that Aaron Martinez has been promoted to Vice President of Sustainability and Operations. Aaron joined ULC in June of 2020 as our Facilities & Sustainability Manager. 

“I had the opportunity to work with Aaron while he was running the Energy Resource Center Denver office, soon after ULC purchased The Foundry in the Sun Valley neighborhood,” said Aaron Miripol, ULC’s President & CEO. “I was incredibly impressed by how he ran his team and his commitment to community and passion for sustainability. He showed strong leadership qualities as soon as he got to ULC, and we know our commitment to sustainability is in good hands with Mr. Martinez. He recently worked to complete the first phase of sustainability upgrades at the Oxford Vista campus and is looking for ways to continue growing ULC’s capacity for more net-zero electric projects.”
Achieving Permanent Affordability
ULC uses a unique community land trust model that makes our real estate investments and development affordable in perpetuity. We invest in the land and only sell the improvements or development rights to ensure the built space will benefit the community for generations. Our CLT ground lease is in place for 99 years, with an automatic 99-year renewal for a total of 198 years of land control. This innovative approach has demonstrated a significant impact in the preservation of permanent affordability in schools, affordable housing, community centers, and affordable nonprofit commercial space.

Learn more about CLT's at The International Community Land Trust Festival, which consists of online events and includes the first World CLT Day on October 29! It's presented by Sustainable Housing for Inclusive and Cohesive Cities and the Center for CLT Innovation. All registration is free. To check it out, click here.