Downtown Denver Partnership courts investment for a Five Points-led Welton Street Renaissance
Kwon Atlas & Rob Anderson
Like many programs, the Downtown Denver Partnership’s annual leadership program (DDLP) looked different this year. The 2020 87-pupil cohort experienced the program virtually because of the COVID-19 global pandemic but continued on learning and developing leadership skills during this unprecedented time. Together, they also experienced the historic George Floyd protest and wanted to change the direction of their group project in honor of the international Black Lives Matter movement.
The Welton Street Renaissance Project seeks to bring more public art and music to the Welton Street Corridor in Five Points and continue the legacy of it as the Harlem of West. The Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership Program is seeking investments from corporate sponsors and philanthropists to fund murals, streetscapes, outdoor stages and long-term infrastructure projects. If successful and with your help, the Welton Street Business District will have more lights, sound and vibrancy and take on more of an old-town feel to rival and complement Dairy Block and the RiNO arts district.
The project is also seeking to fund Concerts and live performances through the Five Points Development Corporation’s Concerts on the Point Initiative. This initiative has brought big-time talent to Colorado like Kanye West, HER, Jamie Fox & more and is currently developing a 2021 concert series.DDLP wants to raise north of $500k for this project seeking a title sponsor of $250,000.
Here are some of the example renderings DDLP created for their pitch:
Why is this important?
Five Points, among neighborhoods in Denver, stands out as an example of the collective rich history of Denver. Five points is the story of community, family, resilience, growth and evolution, and American music. Five Points was born out of segregation, racism, & redlining. As a redlined area, African-Americans were economically forced to build their own business district without traditional public or private finance, which was good and bad. On one hand, the development and conditions of the area lagged behind other parts of the city and on the other hand, a world-renowned cultural hub was created by African-American entrepreneurs.
Five Points was an epicenter of jazz known as the “Harlem of the West,” a place where great jazz musicians of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s would come on their way from New York, Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis before continuing on to the west coast. Greats like Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington would do gigs in Downtown Denver, but because they weren’t allowed to stay in the downtown hotels, they would head to Five Points. There they were always welcomed at the Rossonian hotel, where they consistently performed some of their most memorable late-night shows.
Five points is forever linked to the history of jazz. DDLP wants to create a project to highlight the history of music and provide an economic stimulus to the business district on the Welton Corridor that is still predominantly black-owned. For months cohort members have been reaching out to other community groups and leaders to look for inspiration, direction, feedback, and partnership. They have initially partnered with the Urban League Young Professionals, The Five Points BID and Development Corporation as well as The Juneteenth Festival. The excitement for this project has been overwhelming from community and interested donors. DDLP received its first donation of 10,000 from Holder Construction prior to even formally presenting the project to the Downtown Denver Partnership. This gift highlights Holder’s commitment to being more than a builder and serves as a challenge to other companies.
“We are a company of individuals with strong connections to each other and our communities. We value community service and our associates give their time to hundreds of causes.” (Holder Construction)
The video below will get you excited about the Welton Street Renaissance Project. Hear why this project is important from Five Points community leaders themselves. Video Features: Fathima Dickerson, Norman Harris, Haroun Cowans, Albus Brooks, Terry Nelson, Paul Books, & Purnell Stein.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/MY2B2XUf1BI
Denver’s Mayor, Michael B. Hancock has endorsed the project and created this video to support the effort.
Mayor’s Video Link: https://youtu.be/5SFzsF4C7yE
From more information on Welton Street Renaissance Project and where to donate go to www.weltonstreetrenaissance.com