DENVER — Just north of downtown Denver and the South Platte River, Globeville sits in the heart of the city and is defined by a tight-knit community that shows a lot of heart, even in the face of challenges.
Residents spoke with Denver7 about the community and the many families who have spent generations living there.
“Uncles, aunts, friends, family, just all living on the same block. It was a great experience growing up here,” said Milo Marquez. “Essentially, growing up, we lived in a bubble. This was our bubble.”
“There's a lot of culture here, a lot of sense of family,” said Rebecca Trujillo, who has spent her whole life living in the neighborhood.
Milo Valdez, leader of community improvement non-profit Globeville First, called growing up in the neighborhood “a true blessing.”
“Globeville has always had its own identity,” he told Denver7. “That individuality that we have here has always gave the residents a sense of pride of being here.”
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The blue-collar community was named for the Globe Smelting and Refining Company. That became the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) plant, later deemed a “superfund” hazardous waste site.
Globeville is surrounded by industrial sites and divided by both I-70 and I-25. A 2017 study found Globeville was within the most polluted zip code in the U.S.
“We have been fighting for fresh air, clean air, and we can't get anywhere,” Globeville resident Joseph Herrera told Denver7. “We all have the same goal, which is to fight for Globeville. It's always been ignored by the city of Denver.”
“We've seen a lot of our businesses close down growing up,” Marquez added. “We had a grocery store. We're in a food desert now. We had a lot of corner stores that were selling fresh produce. Those kind of things are just not available to the community now.
“It makes us feel left out, like, does society really care about us if they're not providing those necessities that we need every day?”
'Our people matter'
These neighbors say they don’t mind development, but they don’t want to be displaced by rising costs.
The River North Arts District next door has become trendy and expensive, the National Western Center continues to expand, and a large new development called Fox Park is on the way. Construction has already started in the northwest corner of the neighborhood.
“Globeville is changing,” said Herrera. “Our properties have gone up [in value], but so have our taxes.”
“People fear that they're not going to be able to afford living here, and that those folks will eventually be pushed out,” said Trujillo. “Same thing happened with RiNo. A lot of my family are no longer here because of the development.”
Gil Herrera, a longtime neighborhood resident and advocate, says he was forced to leave his home for an I-70 expansion project.
“I want to stay in this community,” he said. “I was raised here. I have raised my children in this community, and I want to see it excel, to the best of my heart.”
Neighbors want the city to hear them and developers to invest in them.
“[Developers] should want the neighborhood itself to be just as prosperous as they want to be,” Valdez said. “I think it shouldn't be something that's a one-time contribution. I think these kind of issues are going to be ongoing for a long time. So I think they should take some ownership with kind of sustaining with us... We've moved through a lot of different obstacles, but nonetheless, we're still here.”
“I think it's important for the city, the state, to really listen to the voices of the community, understand the challenges that the community faces,” Marquez added.
Trujillo thanked Denver7 for the opportunity to share the neighborhood’s perspective.
“Our voice does matter, and our community matters. Our people matter,” she said. “We've been overlooked so many years, and you know, it's time that we get taken seriously and action starts to happen.”
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