Serving the community since 1926
WEEK OF MARCH 13, 2025
VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 15
$2
Developers prepare to break ground at 49th Avenue, Washington Street The mixed-use space will feature residences, a library and cafe BY NATALIE KERR NATALIE.E.KERR@GMAIL.COM
Students on a trip to Potenza, Italy, pose for a photo on a recent Ambassador Program trip, provided through Denver Sister Cities. COURTESY OF DENVER SISTER CITIES
Sister Cities Denver to host Roman Dinner Fundraiser Feast to raise money for international program BY JILL CARSTENS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Pietro Simonetti learned the value of international exposure as a young adult travelling from Italy to the United States in high school before attending CU Boulder. He ended up settling in Colorado and now helps provide opportunities for other young adults to travel abroad. Simonetti is the committee chair of Denver Sister Cities for Potenza, Italy. Working with the Potenza Lodge in north Denver, he is spearheading a fundraiser to raise scholarship money for high school students to travel to
Potenza this summer. Denver Sister Cities is an established citizen diplomacy organization with the goal of nurturing international partnerships through cultural, educational and economic endeavors. In addition to Potenza, Denver has partnerships with nine other cities. “There are so many advantages to making connections abroad,” Simonetti said “It is not just a cultural exchange but an opportunity to share ideas about growth, infrastructure and collaborative partnership.” Even former Mayor Michael Hancock participated in an exchange program when he was 17 years old, traveling to Japan as part of Sister Cities. “Unfortunately, when Italy’s youth travel, they often do not
CALENDAR: 9 | VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12
return home to live,” remarked Simonetti as he explained how this isolates cities like Potenza. He visited recently, meeting with the mayor of this city of 60,000 who lamented that when their youth do not come back these municipalities become stagnant without that vitality. But it is the possible positive effects of such isolation that sparked the interest of scholarship applicant Gracie Middlekauff. She has been fascinated about “blue zones” in the world where expectancy is unusually higher. “I’m fascinated about the ‘blue zones’ in small towns in Italy,” she said. “The isolation might not be such a bad thing when it comes to quality of life and longevity. These zones seem to have
the key to a balanced life.” The primary aim of the scholarship this year, Simonetti added, is to encourage diversity by supporting students who might not ordinarily have the funds to afford this type of travel. The six students receiving scholarships will become ambassadors of Denver and the U.S., so in their applications the Sister Cities committee looks for students who demonstrate a maturity and willingness to be positive representatives to their host families and sustain a pleasant decorum throughout their visit. Once accepted, the students will meet Mayor Mike Johnston and take part in preparation classes. SEE FUNDRAISER, P5
A new mixed-use residential facility will break ground at the corner of 49th Avenue and Washington Street in Globeville in April, with leasing planned to begin in spring 2027. Residents and project partners met recently at Emmanuel’s Bakery to discuss the potential design of the $124 million project, which includes plans for a new Denver Public Library (DPL) branch and a community cafe space. Main concerns included parking availability and traffic control, affordability and impacts on the existing community. The 170-unit building will feature a range of one to four bedroom units, with half the units set aside for those who are at 50% average median income or below. The cafe and library will be available to both residents and the public, with 113 secured underground surface parking spots for residents, 13 library visitor spots and street parking for overflow. A stop for the RTD Route 7 bus will remain in front of the building. While the library is still waiting on its official stamp of approval from City Council, the current plans feature a 12,000-squarefoot space with a quiet area, SEE WASHINGTON, P7
2025
VOTE NOW March 1st - April 15th
DENVERHERALD.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA