Welton Street runs through one of Denver’s most historically significant neighborhoods, long recognized for its legacy of Black excellence and cultural heritage. The Five Points district has been home to residents since the 1860s, though recent redevelopment initiatives have raised concerns among community members about the impacts of ongoing change.
The Five Points Business Improvement District (BID) states that its mission is to “strengthen and enhance the efforts of business and property owners who live, work in, or contribute to the Historic Five Points neighborhood of Denver.” The organization emphasizes economic development while maintaining a commitment to cultural preservation.
One of the BID’s most prominent projects is the restoration of the historic Rossonian Hotel. Situated at the iconic five-point intersection that gives the neighborhood its name, the Rossonian once served as a cultural hub where legendary musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday performed.
After closing in 2007, the hotel remained vacant until it was purchased in 2017 by Paul Books, a University of Denver (DU) alumnus and founder of Palisade Partners. Books stated that the goal of the redevelopment is to restore the Rossonian’s role as a gathering place and cultural landmark.
Despite these intentions, some Five Points residents have expressed concern to the board that redevelopment efforts may contribute to gentrification and rising housing costs.
In response, Books and members of the Five Points BID board have emphasized the importance of supporting small businesses and multigenerational residents by fostering open communication and listening to community concerns.
Norman Harris, part-owner of Spangalang Brewery located within Five Points, recently welcomed DU students, from Practicing Communication 1001, to the neighborhood to discuss the BID and its proposed initiatives. Students posed questions regarding community engagement and the feasibility of the renovation plans.
Harris commented on the collaboration with DU and how it has impacted the Five Points Community.
“This has been priceless. We are a small staff that can’t go and talk to everyone, but having a class of engaged students who are going out and talking to our stakeholders has helped inform our organization,” Harris said.
Another student asked whether it was realistic to accomplish all the goals of the Five Points renovation. Harris responded, “Yes, I do think it’s feasible. I am a firm believer that if you have a dream and you work at it tirelessly, there’s nothing that the mind can’t achieve. The biggest challenge is getting people to buy into that vision and contribute to it.”
Through discussions like these, Harris and the Five Points BID aim to cultivate a more inclusive and prosperous community. Students in DU’s Practicing Communication course who attended the meeting will continue engaging with local residents to gather firsthand perspectives on the BID’s proposals and their potential implications.
Looking ahead, the Five Points BID hopes to revitalize the district by strengthening community connections and marketing the corridor as a cultural and tourist destination. These efforts seek to honor the neighborhood’s deep African American and jazz heritage.
While development is ongoing and timelines remain flexible, the Rossonian Hotel is projected to reopen in 2028. The project represents one component of a broader strategy to revitalize Denver’s Five Points community.
The opportunity for this investigation came from the Practicing Communication 1001 course taught by Dr. Marji Karish. The class is structured to allow students to practice open dialogue and develop evidence-based communicative practices that will aid them in enacting skillful and ethical responses with ongoing communicative dilemmas.
Further updates are expected as students continue their community interviews and present their findings to BID leadership later in the academic quarter.
