From the pioneering days to its agrarian roots to its mid-century car culture to the ever-changing eclectic commercial thoroughfare it’s become, Lakewood’s West Colfax corridor is constantly evolving — that’s been true for more than 100 years, and it’s certainly true today.
Every year in these pages, we do a round-up of what’s on the horizon for Lakewood’s West Colfax corridor. This year, a bit of a different approach. We interviewed two deeply involved, strong advocates for West Colfax who also live in the corridor. We asked them the same five questions. The questions and responses are below, and provide perspective and insights about the trajectory of the West Colfax corridor.
Cindy Baroway
Former Lakewood City Councilor and current Lakewood Reinvestment Authority Commissioner, longtime resident of the Glens Neighborhood along W. Colfax, serving as a board member and director, and active advocate for the corridor, who also chaired the committee that developed the first West Colfax Vision 2040 Action Plan, along with a host of community ambassadors.
Liz Black
A Two Creeks Neighborhood resident, member of the Athena Project board of directors, an active member of CCBAC’s Colorado Arts Action Network, and the one-of-a-kind 40 West Arts volunteer, turned program manager, turned serving executive director, and 2023 West Colfax Momentum Award Winner.
Q1 – In your opinion what are some of the greatest attributes of Lakewood’s West Colfax Corridor?
CINDY:
The well-established Neighborhoods — the Glens, Two Creeks, Morse Park, and Daniels Westchester — and the many passionate and enthusiastic people and organizations that are involved here. Even though it’s currently underutilized, the arrival of RTD’s light rail line in 2013 was a huge deal for the area. The behavior patterns will evolve and the light rail will be a major positive for West Colfax.
The emergence of 40 West Arts District and the creative energy it brings has done much to enhance the image and perception of West Colfax. In the 30+ years I’ve been here — it always has been known for its eclectic nature, and of course — you can’t talk about West Colfax without mentioning Casa Bonita — the investment in restoring this iconic destination made by the new ownership (South Park creators Matt Stone & Trey Parker) can’t really be measured. It was quoted in a New York Times article in June 2023 by Matt Stone that they had invested “infinity dollars.”
LIZ:
Of course, I would echo Cindy’s kind words about the impact of 40 West Arts District. With our local partners, we are always striving to innovate and do more for the West Colfax community and Lakewood at large. Ten years ago, the emerging art scene here was a significant reason why we moved into the area — we could sense the positive energy! I started as a volunteer for 40 West Arts in 2014 — everything one day, I’d help to lead the organization! I’d also say the formation of our local business improvement district (BID) was a major milestone.
The BID funded and facilitated the launch of 40 West Arts District. Now, due to the support of the BID and others, we have the HUB building that allows us more flexibility to host many more events with our community partners — such as the totally free youth summer camps for underserved kids in our local neighborhoods and much more. I would say “I love the eclectic feel and the diversity that West Colfax brings to the experiences here — and we’re well-located — near to the city and easy access to the mountains, too. I also love the history and lore that West Colfax offers.”
Q2 – In your view, what has been holding back the revitalization of the corridor?
CINDY:
Infrastructure has always been an issue because of the way the regulatory environments evolved in this area. But the main impediment to redevelopment are the floodplain issues along West Colfax. It’s expensive to develop property in or near a floodplain.
Drainage and floodplain mitigation is not only costly, but it also adds extra time to the development process. Many, many investors and developers have abandoned plans once they look at the current floodplain maps. Once the floodplain issues are addressed with the North Dry Gulch project that will free up scores of properties along West Colfax for more accessible redevelopment.
LIZ:
Yes, more infrastructure improvements will make a big impact. I believe the organizing and planning efforts in the area have been remarkable — from the establishment of the BID (2011) to the formation of 40 West Arts (2011) and its state-certification as a creative district in 2014 to the creation of the ArtLine (2018 to present).
And I’d say the West Colfax Vision 2040 Action Plan, developed in 2014 and adopted in 2015, was a significant accomplishment for the corridor. Having a shared community vision and working with the support of our local organizations to achieve incremental progress every year is a big deal for our community — even though there is always more work to be done here. In my view, the city has played an integral role; they have been a great partner along the way.
Q3 – Do you have programs or policies in mind that the community should advocate for?
CINDY:
The West Colfax Vision 2040 Action Plan was a great start to capture and articulate the community’s vision for the future. It’s a great tool to use with new developers coming into the area to ensure community perspective. And the fact that the local BID refreshes the plan every five years with both community ambassadors and the city staff involved makes sure the plan stays relevant. But in addition to continuing the implementation of this seminal plan, two more thoughts come to mind:
- Bonding to speed up the North Dry Gulch drainage and floodplain improvements. I believe just announcing this would be enough to get investors to take another look at West Colfax.
- Buying targeted properties in the corridor to catalyze revitalization — like what’s being done with Blue Sky Motel property. That’s forward thinking! I’d support more efforts to clean up old motels in the corridor.
LIZ:
Unified support for the future of West Colfax from elected officials, city staff, and neighborhood leaders is essential to continue to make progress. And continued support for 40 West Arts and the ArtLine is vital — it involves creative placemaking throughout the corridor.
More funds for public art mean more opportunities for local artists to continue to create new creative landmarks, helping to make West Colfax a memorable place to visit and benefiting local nonprofits, such as The Action Center, during construction was amazing and a wonderful gesture to our community (thank you, Matt & Trey!).
Also, although the major construction elements have yet to begin at the time of this interview, the $20+ million dollar investment by CDOT and City of Lakewood for the West Colfax Safety Project should be a game-changer, making the stretch of West Colfax between Teller and Sheridan safer and more walkable; with significant art installations being discussed, the project will also make the area a more attractive destination.
That’s great news for both Casa Bonita and 40 West Arts — both located within the project area. I think the future is bright for the corridor. With the open-minded elected leaders we are serving today, I believe that will lead to more possibilities for forward thinking and more progress for the corridor.
Q4 – What are the 2–3 best things to happen in the corridor in the last decade?
CINDY:
The construction of First Bank’s new 127,000 square-foot headquarters on West Colfax was a big deal. It not only brought jobs that expanded Lakewood’s employment base, but it brought more people to buy lunches and frequent shops in the corridor. (Rumor has it they had headquarters as well a year or two earlier.) I also think the restoration of Casa Bonita was huge. And finally, the West Colfax Vision 2040 Plan helped align stakeholders and move the corridor forward.
LIZ:
The infusion of new arts programming and public art through 40 West Arts and the ArtLine has been transformational. The restoration of Casa Bonita has re-energized the corridor nationally. And the ongoing investment in infrastructure and safety will continue to pay dividends for years to come.
Q5 – What is your BIG wish for the corridor in the 5 years…10 years?
CINDY:
I’d love to see the dream of Vision 2040 plan realized — that means better infrastructure for more walkability, more green spaces, continued progress for 40 West Arts District, and the thoughtful redevelopment of the Westland Town Center by Artesia that matches both the feasible economics of the development team and the desires of the surrounding neighborhood residents, who would like to see a new set of amenities for shopping, dining, and entertainment. They want the new Westland Town Center to enhance their quality of life.
I’d also like to see Lakewood Country Club host a national-scale golf event. Whether that’s NCAA, USGA, or Celebrity event, it would draw people and elevate the public perception of West Colfax. I would also love to have an affordable development for local artists — a place where they can work and live. I plan to be here another 30 years and would love to have these changes so that my husband and I can safely walk or bike to restaurants, entertainment venues, grocery stores, and parks.
LIZ:
Big wishes — we have many! First, my wish is continued progress with Vision 2040, like to see us evolve into an artist-minded community, where both local and national creative businesses locate here. I’m eager to see the corridor transition from an automotive-centric destination to a more multiple-modal approach. We, along with our partners, hope to find a way to create a “Collaborative Co-Affordable Housing Model” for the creative community.
As part of this, envision a future in which the entire West Colfax corridor experiences a renaissance to become the Colfax Creative Corridor — an eclectic arts and entertainment destination along historic West Colfax Avenue stretching from Meow Wolf at I-25 westward to Lakewood’s Prismagic at Colorado Mills (at I-70).
Between those immersive art experiences, you’ll find 40 West Arts District and its 20+ creative venues and the fully restored Casa Bonita alongside other local entertainment and artistic venues — and more on the way. Along with our partners, including leadership at our local BID, these conversations are taking place now. When we dream — we dream BIG!
While this famous corridor is ever-changing, one thing is constant — there are extraordinary people helping to shape the future of West Colfax. These two — both engaged and active West Colfax residents, both strong and passionate voices — are making a difference. If they’re not legends already — they are certainly destined to be considered so.
