An unusual plan is underway in central Denver to transform a site known as a tank farm into space for new affordable housing.
Located within the boundaries of the city’s Sun Valley neighborhood, what is called the Zuni tank farm was formerly an Xcel Energy plant.
If all goes well, the Denver Housing Authority will sometime this summer acquire the 8-acre property near 13th Avenue for the ambitious redevelopment project, which will also include the creation of open green space.
The land in question is dominated by several large tanks that in the past were used to store oil. The agency already owns a portion of the site through an earlier purchase.
If DHA’s estimated $6.2 million purchase of the land is finalized, the agency will then be tasked with not only removing the tanks, but also generally remediating the site.
To that end, the agency is currently in the process of trying to secure a grant for up to $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for the remediation work.
The project is one with a decided forward-looking component: construction of the new housing units is not expected to begin until the site is completely remediated by the end of next year.
The largely industrial Sun Valley neighborhood, with a population of less than 2,000 people, has for years been a part of the city with higher rates of unemployment and poverty.
By Garry Boulard