DENVER — In the shadow of Mile High Stadium, the Sun Valley neighborhood was once one of the city’s poorest communities. Now, it is in the midst of massive redevelopment — and the people who live, work and play here have a lot to say about it.
The neighborhood is located south of Empower Field on the west side by Interstate 25, bordered by Federal Boulevard to the west and Highway 6 to the south.
As part of our Denver7 Your Voice — a promise to listen to the communities we serve and elevate voices we might not usually hear — Denver7 Anchor Jaclyn Allen visited a popular taco truck, a busy coffee shop and a crowded food bank line to hear from people who live in and care about Sun Valley.
Sergio Ortiz owns Hell’s Tacos on Federal Boulevard and has been serving tacos in the area for four years. He lives in Aurora. He picked this neighborhood because we saw a lot of people and traffic.
“A lot of people say I’m one of the most popular here. I make tortillas by hand — 100% fresh,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes — a lot of construction … like new apartments.”
While some of the area is currently made of subsidized housing, those new apartments are making way for hundreds of new residents.
While this is happening, Ortiz has witnessed long-time businesses closing their doors and his own business has recently slowed down.
“I don’t make money. I just try to survive and keep going," he said. "I feel blessed because I can still help my employees and their families."
At La Brewjula coffee shop off Zuni Street, owner Charlene Ramirez-Mares has seen the neighborhood change firsthand since the Sun Valley public housing complex was razed three years ago and replaced with mixed-income, high-density development.
“It's a mixed bag," she said. "It’s exciting to see the development happening… but not at the sacrifice of the people who live here.”
Ethan Ericca, a realtor with an office in Sun Valley, said the changes are bringing diversity and opportunity, but the housing market remains out of reach for many.
“It’s challenging for anyone trying to afford a home and a place to live in Denver,” he said. “Even ‘affordable housing’ has minimum income requirements.”
According to Zillow, the average cost of a Denver home right now is $535,897. The average home in the Sun Valley neighborhood costs more than $600,000.
Denver7 also stopped by the line of people at the Sun Valley food bank, which is offered through Sun Valley Kitchen + Community Center. Their website reports that 99% of people in the neighborhood have little access to healthy food within one mile of their residence, and 78% of residents there live below the poverty line.
In the line, residents spoke about daily survival.
Jamie, a mother who is raising three children while attending college, said that she was grateful to get free food for her family.
"I live way below the poverty line, so it means everything to me — especially since our food stamps might get held up," she said.
Eduardo Carbajal, a lifelong Sun Valley resident and caretaker for his parents and nieces, noted both violence and homelessness as issues in his community.
"It brings uncertainty to the community because you don’t know who these people are," he said.
Daniel, another resident in line for food, said that despite challenges, he is grateful.
“What’s good is we have a place to live. What’s bad is it’s still a little high crime. But other than that, grateful we have a place to live,” he said.
Sun Valley’s future is being reshaped — from the planned departure of the Broncos stadium and the development from the new stadium to mixed-income housing. The people who live and work here say they are watching closely to see whether change brings opportunity or more challenges in the future.
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
