Mosaic campus in east Denver combines housing, education, and job training

Presidents Hall (front), Founders Hall (left), and two former dormitories at Mosaic Community Campus in Denver on April 9, 2024. Several former dormitories have been converted into approximately 150 affordable housing units. (Photo courtesy of Hyoung Chang/Denver Post)

In South Park Hill, a former university campus is being gradually renovated, and what is taking shape bears no resemblance to Denver's typical redevelopment projects.

On a recent sunny Friday afternoon, in one of the buildings on the Mosaic Community Campus, DIRT Coffee Bar had just closed after a day of selling cappuccinos and training baristas with intellectual disabilities and neurological conditions. At nearby The Helping Hen Cafe, a staff member was smiling behind the counter. There, students facing barriers such as housing insecurity and criminal convictions receive free culinary training through the nonprofit organization Work Options.

Next door, four former dormitories have been closed off in a construction zone and will soon be converted into low-cost apartments. A few yards away, two teachers watched as children played on the lawn in front of St. Elizabeth School, an Episcopal school for kindergarten through eighth grade students.

The community-centered approach to redeveloping Johnson & Wales University's former campus follows a nontraditional model in Denver's redevelopment-hungry urban landscape. The organization that purchased the 25-acre site is repurposing the historic building in a way that combines affordable housing, educational programs for children and adults, and job opportunities, all within walking distance of each other. .

“I never thought something like this would be possible,” said Aaron Millipol, president and CEO of the Urban Land Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that worked with public partners to purchase the land. There weren't any,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

And more features are coming to the versatile mosaic campus. In the northeast corner, his two buildings owned by the Denver Housing Authority may soon be hosting immigrant families. On the south side of the site, one of four buildings belonging to Denver Public Schools is scheduled to open in the fall, allowing for an expansion from the Denver School of the Arts' current location just north of campus.

The site first admitted students in 1909 as Colorado Women's College, and later became the site of the University of Denver School of Law. In 2000, she became one of the satellite campuses of Johnson & Wales, based in Providence, Rhode Island.

The property has been given a new lease of life since the Urban Land Conservancy purchased it in 2021 following the university's decision to leave Denver. The nonprofit organization uses community land trusts to own land and then partners with other organizations to lease the land and buildings at deep discounts or, in some cases, purchase existing buildings.

This community is part of Millipol's vision when the campus along Montview Boulevard was first put up for sale.

This community-centered plan shares similarities with another large-scale college campus redevelopment in Loretto Heights in southwest Denver. The 72-acre campus plan includes affordable and market-rate housing, office space, retail, and municipal buildings, but is being led by a private developer.

The East Denver Mosaic plan fits into the larger mission of the Urban Land Conservancy. We purchase land and buildings throughout metro Denver, strategically focusing on properties near transit stations and corridors. Once the acquisition is complete, the organization will work with new neighbors to understand their greatest needs, whether it's building affordable housing or opening schools and boys and girls clubs. said Millipole.

“We generally focus on buying properties in neighborhoods that have seen dramatic evictions,” he said. “How can we play a role in mitigating that?”

Focus on East Denver's needs

In the case of the former university campus, it is attractive because of its historic preservation opportunities and its proximity to the Colfax Street corridor and the adjacent East Colfax neighborhood, an ethnically diverse neighborhood facing affordability pressures. It was an investment.

Urban Land Conservancy, in partnership with Denver Public Schools and the Denver Housing Authority, purchased the land for $62.5 million.

ULC currently owns more than half of the land and campus. The nonprofit organization does not manage all of the green space on the property, but aims to maintain that portion as a neighborhood amenity.

Archway Communities purchased two dormitory buildings from ULC at the end of 2021 and then two more at the end of 2022 “at a significant discount,” Millipol said. After completing renovations, Archway plans to rent more than 150 apartments at affordable rents to low-income residents later this year.

Plans for more affordable housing remain fluid and subject to change to meet recent needs.

DHA purchased the three-acre site, which includes land and two former dormitory buildings, with plans to provide a total of 72 apartments. Spokeswoman Alison Trembley said converting the building into permanent affordable housing is a long-term goal and the company intends to select a development partner this year. However, DHA and city officials are currently “exploring options to operate the building on a short-term basis for immigrant families who are resettling in our communities in search of employment, educational opportunities, and permanent housing options.” “There is,” she said.

Jordan Fuja, a spokesman for Denver's mayor, confirmed that the administration is in discussions about housing immigrants at Mosaic Campus, but added that “no final decisions have been made.”

On-campus vocational training

While the housing project is still in progress and continues to evolve, the educational programs at Mosaic Community Campus are here to stay.

After serving as dean for 20 years at Johnson & Wales, a private university known for its culinary education, Jorge de la Torre has seen the campus change firsthand.

The chef once worked with students who were paying $30,000 a year in tuition and fees. Now, De La Torre is helping members of the community who probably couldn't afford that price.

“Now that we're open…a lot of people who wouldn't have been able to step foot on this campus before now have the opportunity to enjoy what's already here in our beautiful kitchens and buildings,” he said. Told.

De la Torre is director of culinary arts at Kitchen Network, a nonprofit food business incubator owned by BuCu West, an organization that helps small businesses grow in Denver. He is one of the tenants renting the building from the Urban Land Conservancy. Another private school that offers sliding scale tuition is St. Elizabeth.

De la Torre said Kitchen Network heard a desire to expand its presence from Denver's Westwood neighborhood to the city's east side, and the Mosaic campus provided the ideal setting. The two culinary-focused buildings include nine kitchens, two dining rooms, and classroom space.

As an added bonus, employees will be able to “live on the same campus and work on the same campus,” he said. “We're going to provide affordable housing to people who may not have the ability to live in Denver.”

This facility is located in a food desert, where residents have limited access to healthy, low-cost food. The Kitchen Network plans to be part of the solution by providing lunchtime options for neighborhood residents. De la Torre said Cholon Modern Asian and Dee Bar restaurants have also set up commercial kiosks.

A cancer nutrition research group is active on campus, and Rocky Mountain Chefs in Colorado is hosting classes in its apprenticeship program.

“All nonprofits within a five-mile radius of here. If we can help them, we're here,” De La Torre said.

The son of Bolivian immigrants, De La Torre has the opportunity to help the local Hmong, Thai and Ethiopian residents. Many people already have culinary talent, he says, but he helps them with costs, permits, etc. before they start a brick-and-mortar restaurant or food truck.

“This campus has to be a welcoming place for everyone, east, west, north and south,” he said. “From now on, a diverse range of people will gather.”

“We know we are in a housing crisis.”

Cody Baker lives on a side street on the south side of campus and often takes his dog for walks in the area.

“It feels good. I can see they're moving things along,” he said from the front door of his home Tuesday afternoon. Baker said he doesn't know much about the details behind the project, but “it's probably not a bad thing.”

Greater Park Hill Community Inc., the area's registered neighborhood organization, does not take a position on the redevelopment of the former university campus, said its chairman, Shane Sutherland. But residents are curious.

Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, a first-term representative for the Northeast Denver district that includes the Mosaic campus, said she is hearing questions from constituents about the campus plan and its potential impact on the community. talk. In response to these inquiries, she became more involved and urged participation in discussions between the government and the DHA over housing programs, including for migrants.

“I think there is an opportunity for growth for the administration and the people who are really leading this project and making sure the community is involved in the planning and execution,” she said.

Lewis supports providing affordable housing on campus. That's because “we know we're in a housing crisis, not just for those new to our community, but for those who have lived permanently or mostly in the city and county of Denver. The same goes for their lives. ”