Loretto Heights Development: Denver Releases Public Survey

DENVER, CO – the City of Denver is asking southwest side neighbors to participate in an online survey to help guide the development of the 74-acre former Loretto Heights property, which was purchased by Glendale-based Westside Investment Partners, in July.

Through the city's "Denveright" process, Denver Community Planning and Development is working with local residents, neighborhood groups and other stakeholders to "create a community vision" for the property, which sits on the highest spot in Denver, the city said.

Westside Investment will be dividing parcels of the property to sell to developers, the Denver Post reported.

Denver Community Planning is asking residents to take an online survey here to get input into the local community desires for the property.

“This planning process will give neighbors a say and ensure this corner of Denver honors the neighborhood’s history, reflects the character and culture of the community, and meets the needs of residents there today,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a press release.

A steering committee has already been meeting since October to give recommendations for a "Loretto Heights Area Plan."

A public meeting will take place Jan. 15, 2019. To learn more about the planning process, the steering committee, and the campus, visit www.DenverGov.org/lorettoheights.

“I need all of you to participate in the many public outreach opportunities that will be available during this planning,” Denver Councilman Kevin Flynn said in a statement. “[L]ed by the southwest community, the city will produce a plan that truly reflects a genuine, consensus derived vision to guide the future of the campus.”

The final plan will be reviewed for adoption by City Council and used to "inform decision-making related to the development of the campus," the development department said. "Given the historic nature of the campus and its buildings, CPD’s team includes a landmark preservation planner, and the city will perform a historic survey and building inventory. The survey and inventory are not typically done for a planning process."

The 20-building campus was established in 1891 by the Sisters of Loretto as a girls academy. As the site evolved, Loretto Heights College offered degrees to both women and men in teaching, nursing and other majors. The site was purchased in 1989, by Japanese buyers who operated the school as Teikyo Loretto Heights University and later Colorado Heights University, which specialized in English language learning for international students. The red-bricked 1890 Administration Building, designed by noted architect Frank E. Edbrooke, towers over the site. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Image via City of Denver

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