DENVER — The Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District on Saturday hosted Art-I-Fax, a block party at Colfax and Park Avenues with a particular theme in mind this year: Reflections.
“A good time to be young in Denver was in the 50’s and 60’s,” longtime Colfax Avenue resident Clyde Lay said.
He has lived along Colfax Avenue for decades -- currently living at a senior housing center near Saturday’s event.
“There wasn’t that much on East Colfax when I was a kid,” Lay said while watching cars pass by. The Colfax we know and the improvements we see today were merely ideas when Lay was younger.
Most recently, the Denver Police Department dedicated 100-extra hours of bike and foot patrol along one stretch of the avenue.
Also recently introduced, a $5 million construction project set to wrap up by the fall of 2017.
Lay told Denver7 it was the addition of streetlights along Colfax that literally lit up Denver.
“It was pretty dark along the streets. It wasn’t safe,” he said.
Saturday’s block party also integrated Colfax Ave’s past, present and future.
Frank Locantore, Executive Director of Colfax Avenue BID, described Colfax as a “real historic street with lots of character.”
“People love Colfax, the warts and all,” he said.
Locantore hoped Saturday’s block party uncovered more ideas for smooth growth around the major corridor. The executive director called it a group effort.
“How as citizens, can we come together and how can we shape and foster Colfax to be something that really works for everybody,” was his question.
Lay said whatever is being done now-- is working.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the stretch of Park Ave from Colfax to Humboldt was shut down.
