Where were you June 3rd, 2022? Were you a part of this community soiree?
On this date, a dream comes true on West Colfax, as a newly renovated arts building opens to the public along West Colfax in Lakewood, Colorado, brimming with galleries, creative businesses, artists, visitors and more. During the opening, jugglers throw colorful balls and bowling pins into the air to the delight of anyone standing near. A DJ mixes playful music in the corner of 40 West Gallery, standing just in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at bustling West Colfax Avenue.
Still, walkers amble under 12-foot ceilings, freshly painted black ceilings, and exposed ductwork, giving the building an industrial modern feel. Artwork hangs on sparkling white drywall, representing the unique flavor of all seven creative spaces that call The HUB at 40 West Arts home.
This incredible new building, The HUB for short, has been a remarkable and improbable multi-year journey for Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, the local Business Improvement District, and many other players and partners who came together over three years to make this vision a reality.
And during the opening dedication, three Lakewood mayors give speeches along with community leaders and Colorado Creative Industries Director Margaret Hunt (now retired). Hugs, smiles, and tears are shared by almost every person in the crowd.
The building, officially called The HUB at 40 West Arts, like the district itself, was a dream that culminated over years of hard work and planning. Also like the district, many believed that the vision would be impossible to realize. But 40 West Arts and its partners have always cultivated community collaboration as their foundational approach, and through those connections and a passion for community service and growing the arts in a traditionally underserved area, have been able to recognize and solidify numerous goals that originally seemed unachievable.
Discussions for a building began in 40 West Arts Board meetings as early as 2018. The decision gained momentum in 2019, as commercial real estate began to rise substantially, and district leaders noticed that small businesses and other creative enterprises were already beginning to get priced out of the area. This narrative sadly rings true across many parts of Metro Denver. The artists and galleries that help make an area hip and desirable, begin to be financially shut out of the very neighborhoods that they helped to catalyze. 40 West Arts and the local BID knew that they needed to move — and quickly.
Board and staff began evaluating buildings in 2019. The group examined multiple properties throughout the corridor, but kept coming back to the 11,200 square foot occupied building located near Lamar Street on W. Colfax Avenue, in the parking lot of Lamar Station Plaza, also home to the iconic Mexican-themed restaurant Casa Bonita. The building, owned by Broad Street Realty, had a lot of potential, and a lot of challenges.
The property was originally a locally famous restaurant called the Denver Drumstick. It opened in 1969 and featured a “Boxcar of Fried Chicken or Shrimp for $3.49 to feed 4-5 hungry people.” Long-time residents remember the Denver Drumstick fondly, recalling the model train that ran just below the ceiling throughout the building to the delight of patrons, especially children.
