DENVER — Five Points, a historic neighborhood in Denver with a rich history, is also going through some major transformation. New apartments, restaurants, shops and developers are moving into the area.
At the same time, there’s an equally powerful group of people working to make sure the history is preserved.
Five points is synonymous with jazz, known as a city within a city, and a sanctuary based off of history.
It's also a part of Denver shaped by racism and redlining.
LaDawn Sullivan, executive director of the Black Resilience In Colorado Fund, has witnessed the changes firsthand since she started living near Five Points 30 years ago.
“My grandmother used to talk about how everybody would kind of come into Five Points on Saturdays,” she recalled.
Now Sullivan said the make-up of her neighborhood has changed.
So has Five Points itself.
"If I don't go down for like, a few weeks, and then I come back and I'm like, what happened to that building?" said Sullivan.
Sullivan is dedicated to balancing the influx of development while preserving the culture that defines Five Points.
"I do think with some of the new build outs there, it builds a stronger tension," she said.
Sullivan said BRIC is working to bridge the new developments with the culture through collaboration with local nonprofits to support the community and working with black artists to tell the neighborhood’s story through murals and community initiatives.
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She is one of many community leaders working to find that balance.
“We have to be comfortable with change, but we can't simply let our history go,” said Norman Harris, the Executive Director of the Five Points Business Improvement District.
Harris comes from a family with deep roots in the community, spanning five generations. His family has owned businesses and developed an apartment complex to help lower-income tenants and people in the military.
Harris has been watching as the challenges for local businesses have changed.
“As property values increase, it definitely makes it more difficult for someone to afford a commercial lease to start their dream,” he said. In response, he said he is collaborating with the city and mayor’s office to help local businesses remain in Five Points.
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“Bringing your culture to become integrated into something bigger than yourself is really the opportunity we have,” Harris added.
Both Sullivan and Harris acknowledge that while change can be daunting, it is not all bad. Sullivan said she’s worked with new businesses and developers highlighting the history in their new builds and providing community spaces, which is encouraging.
However, they both agree that a lot of work remains to ensure the neighborhood’s character is protected along with all the changes.
