In partnership with Urban Land Conservancy (ULC), Archway Communities, a leader in offering quality affordable housing, will purchase four dormitory buildings at the former Johnson and Wales Campus – Founders, Presidents, Johnson and Wales Halls. These four historic buildings will be transformed into approximately 160 affordable housing units, creating opportunity for families along the income spectrum. These families will benefit from a campus designed to provide an accessible site for multi-cultural, multigenerational uses, including high quality P-12 education, permanently affordable housing, culinary arts training, community spaces, and services that will enhance the surrounding communities. Archway anticipates total project costs of approximately $50M and is working to begin construction in the next 12 months with units being ready for occupancy in 2023.
In addition to providing affordable housing, Archway will offer a host of services, as seen at all 10 Archway communities. Family Services Programming provides year-round supportive services and developmental programs for adult and youth who reside within our housing communities.
“This project offers Archway a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the exciting work that ULC, DHA and Denver Public Schools, among others, are envisioning for the former Johnson & Wales Campus. Our plan is to provide housing for families along with services that will further enrich the campus as well as benefit from the many other good things anticipated for the community,” said Sebastian Corradino, Chief Executive Officer at Archway Communities.
With Plans to Preserve for Education, Economic Development and Housing
Last summer, Johnson and Wales University announced it would cease operations in Denver after the 2020-21 school year and sought to sell the entire 25-acre campus. In January of this year, JWU representatives selected ULC as the lead buyer of the property. ULC submitted a proposal in partnership with Denver Public School and Denver Housing Authority. Of three finalists that bid on the campus, ULC was the only nonprofit and the only organization with goals to preserve the campus for community purposes.
The campus sits at the intersection of two very different communities: South Park Hill, with an average income of $141,851 and 6.06% families in poverty, and East Colfax, with an average household income of $57,413 and 23.6% families in poverty. Acquisition of the property furthers the goals of ULC, which intervenes in the metro-area real estate market on behalf of low-income, disadvantaged communities currently put at risk for displacement from gentrification by commercial redevelopment.
In addition to Archway Communities, ULC is partnering with St. Elizabeth’s School, an intentionally inclusive school with a dedication to equity, belonging, and educational opportunity for all students and BuCu West/The Kitchen Network, which incubates specialty food businesses and will provide culinary arts training and certifications.
