| The Curtis Park District of Denver, CO is part
of the Five Points neighborhood, one of the largest and oldest
neighborhoods in Denver. Established in the 1860’s, Curtis
Park has fallen into significant decline, experiencing social
and economic distress, and properties in disrepair. However,
the neighborhood is beginning to experience an urban renaissance,
with new businesses moving in and renovations taking place throughout
the neighborhood. HGTV, Rebuilding Together and the National
Trust for Historic Preservation hope to help advance this transformation
by bringing together community members to make Curtis Park a
safer place to live.
Home of Paula Quintana
At the age of 21, Paula Quintana moved to Denver with her
husband who had just finished serving in World War II. They
bought a beautiful house on Stout Street, originally built
in the 1880’s, and raised five children in the home.
When Paula’s husband passed away at the young age of
66, she continued to live in the home and has now been there
for 55 years. Although her home was clean and well cared for,
major repairs had not been made since her husband’s
death nearly 20 years ago. The home was also in need of modifications
for accessibility and safety as she ages. Through the support
of HGTV and its partners, and all the hard work of our volunteers,
the hope is that Paula can remain independent and safe in
her family home.
 How
am I Historic?- Paula Quintana’s home was built
in the 1880’s. The Curtis Park Neighborhood is designated
as a historic district.
 How
am I Green?- At Paula Quintana’s home, the water
heater and furnace upgrade will increase energy efficiency.
Click
here to read the article from the Denver Post about
Paula's experience having all these volunteers in her
home.
View
the photo album of various team pictures, our visit
from HGTV's Eric Strommer and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper,
and shots of the family with our team.
View
the photo album of the construction of the new powder
room on the main floor and the renovation of the foyer
area.
View
the photo album of the transformation of the living room
and dining room. See how all SIX layers of wallpaper
were removed to expose the original plaster walls.
View
the photo album of the renovation of the stairs and hallway,
and the safety improvements to the hall and main bath.
View
the photo album of the remake of the kitchen and pantry
with fresh new colors, flooring and appliances.
View
the photo album of the basement and outside work including
the construction of a new basement entrance, new handrail
that will let Paula use her back yard for the first time
in years, and the sprucing up of the porch.
The Women's Bean Project
Striving to break the cycle of poverty and unemployment, the
Women’s Bean Project provides vital job training and
support services to women in need, helping them become them
become self sufficient.
Women’s Bean Project is an organization committed to
teaching job readiness and life skills to local women. The
Bean Project offers transitional employment in gourmet food
manufacturing to women with a history of chronic unemployment
and poverty, limited job skills and limited education. Many
of these women are struggling to transform their lives after
incarceration or battling addictions.
The Bean Project strives to break the cycle of poverty and
unemployment by providing on-the-job training to help women
develop work and interpersonal skills that will allow them
to secure permanent employment and become self sufficient.
Additionally, the Bean Project offers support services to
help increase employability, such as GED and computer classes.
However, due to space limitations, the Bean Project has to
turn away nearly half of the women who apply for services.
Renovations in the facility will allow them to expand programs
by at least 30% and help a great deal more women gain the
confidence and skills needed to turn their lives around. HGTV
and its partners can help make this a reality.
Housed in a historic 1928 firehouse, only the main floor
can currently be used for production. The renovations accomplished
during Change the World Week will allow production to expand
to the second floor, creating more jobs and training, and
will addressed some needed repairs and energy upgrades on
this beautiful property.
How
am I Historic?- This 1928 fire house has been repurposed
as the Women's Bean Project. It still retains all the
original doors, windows and wooden lockers.
How
am I Green?- Renovations at Women’s Bean Project,
including weatherization, will greatly increase energy
efficiency in the historic building.
A big THANK YOU!
to Colleen Coccia for these gorgeous pictures of the whole
project!
View
the photos of the pre-project tour.
View
the photo album for the ASCE Team on Rebuilding Day,
April 26, 2008, when they did the first phase of work
on the second floor renovation.
View
the photo album of the Change the World Week pictures.
Green Street Program
Under the city of Denver’s “City in a Park,”
“Million Trees” and “Green Streets”
programs, the Curtis Park Community hopes to be a nationally
recognized leader providing model programs and vibrant public
spaces. To achieve this dream, the community needed help planting
trees for Green Streets, which will provide a shady canopy
for pedestrians. The Green Street planting is both beautiful
and functional, improving the atmosphere of the neighborhood,
making it more comfortable for pedestrians and helping to
improve air quality.
How
am I Green? - The Green Street planting will provide vital
trees for shade and improved air quality.
View
the photo album for the open space project, Green
Streets and Million Trees Initiative.
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