Good Job Standards Achieved at Denver Union Station!

For the past five months, the CRD has been working to ensure good wages for service workers on the public portions of the Union Station project. [See Rocky Mountain News Article.]

On December 18th, the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) unanimously approved a resolution to apply Denver’s Living Wage and Prevailing Wage standards to any workers it contracts with to service the public spaces of Union Station.

This commitment will help to ensure that some of Denver’s most vulnerable workers, including janitors, window washers, parking, and security workers, will be able to make ends meet in tough economic times.

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8/14/08 Westword Covers CRD In Article on Union Station:

There are passionate and conflicting public opinions on everything from layout and design to parking shortfalls and the social benefits the development should provide.
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And then, last April, the protesters showed up. Wearing tri-corner Revolutionary War hats and chanting “No taxation without representation,” a coalition of labor, environmental and affordable-housing activists called the Campaign for Responsible Development rallied on the steps of the City and County Building to demand that the station’s redevelopment include well-paying jobs, affordable housing, local business opportunities and environmental sustainability. Initiated by FRESC, an influential local nonprofit formerly known as the Front Range Economic Strategy Center, the Campaign for Responsible Development had succeeded in winning similar concessions in the plan for the tax-supported redevelopment of the Gates Rubber plant.

“It’s going to be built on public land and involve a significant amount of city funding,” says organizer Blake Pendergrass. “If we can’t accomplish these goals with a public project, how can we do it with private development?”

In June the city council agreed to ask that the developer work toward these community benefits — community benefits that don’t come cheap.
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The developer insists the bill will also cover at least some of the community benefits demanded by the Campaign for Responsible Development. They say they plan to abide by sustainable development standards, set aside some of the storefronts for local businesses, and allow an independent agency to study the viability of including low-income rental units at the site.

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8/4/08 CRD Turns Out to City Council Hearing

Workers, community members, faith leaders and supporters turned out and testified at a Public Hearing, as City Council voted to approve structures that pave the way for public funding. The CRD was pleased to report commitments on environmental sustainability and small business standards for the

site, but stressed the importance of ensuring good jobs standards and affordable housing before the City approves public subsidies in December.

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City Council Outlines Expectations for Community Benefits at Union Station!

From the Denver Post (6/24/08):
“The Denver City Council on Monday warned that it wants any public subsidies extended to redevelop the historic Union Station to go toward creating good-paying jobs, affordable housing and other benefits…”
Read Entire Article

Read the Council Bill text and watch a video of the Council debate here

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The April 14th CRD Union Station rally was a success!

Click here to view a slide show of the event.

Read the Rocky Mountain News coverage of the event.

The Campaign for Responsible Development (CRD) calls for community support to ensure that tax-funded redevelopment of Union Station benefits all segments of our community:

• Quality family-supporting jobs and opportunities for community-based local small businesses

• Low-income and accessible housing for families earning less than 30% and 50% of the Area Median Income ($21,510 and $35,850)

• Environmentally sustainable construction and operation

Recent decades of revitalization and billions of dollars in public and private investment have improved the vitality of downtown Denver. But while new shops and lofts have helped breathe fresh air into the area, many downtown service workers struggle to earn a self-sufficient wage, and fewer and fewer residents can afford to live downtown. To achieve its full ‘great city’ status, downtown Denver must take every opportunity to become more inclusive and achieve a more sustainable balance between jobs and housing.

The redevelopment of Union Station offers an extraordinary opportunity to create good jobs and a stronger, more diverse downtown community. The development is estimated to receive up to $100 million in City tax subsidies and will include:

• $1.3 billion of public and private investment

• Enhanced transit hub connecting Commuter Rail, Light Rail, and bus transit

• Redevelopment of nearly 20 prime acres in LoDo

• Approximately 1.5 million square feet of new residences, offices, shops and hotels

When taxpayers are involved in a redevelopment project such as Union Station, all segments of our community should be uplifted.

For Union Station to live up to its potential, the city, developers and community must work together now – before additional public funds are allocated – to ensure that Denver residents from across the income spectrum have a place at Union Station. The developers and public partners should include community members from the Campaign for Responsible Development in project planning, and should commit to community benefits that protect and advance the interests of all Denver’s residents.

To sign up for more information, click here or contact Blake Pendergrass: (303) 477-6111 x. 17 or bpendergrass@fresc.org

Photo Credit: Ric Urrutia