DENVER — People in Denver know the historic Five Points neighborhood today looks different from how it did in the past.
"Five Points is a historically African American neighborhood," Stefka Fanchi, CEO of Elevation Community Land Trust, said. "Used to be known as the Harlem of the West, at one point."
Over time, a neighborhood where Black people lived and congregated, changed.
"As neighborhoods gentrify and new development comes in, the people who really made the neighborhood special often get pushed out because they can’t afford to stay there," Fanchi said.
New homes built at 35th Avenue and Chestnut Place in Five Points are set to support revitalizing neighborhood history.
The Burrell affordable housing development is one of Elevation CLT's projects. Fanchi said it aims to create an attainable, inclusive homeownership opportunity for people with connections to the area.
"We’re hoping we’ll be able to serve families who either have some sort of historic tie to this neighborhood, like, maybe, their parents lived here and they were pushed out as the neighborhood gentrified, or folks that live here currently but never thought they would have the opportunity to own a home," Fanchi said.
Fanchi said currently, eight of the 49 available one, two and three-bedroom condominiums are under contract.
"Not only are we creating a beautiful space, but also a space that people can afford," Fanchi said.
The Burrell is named after legendary Denver musician Charles Burrell.
Some in the music industry know him as "the Jackie Robinson of classical music" for being the first African American to be a member of a major American symphony.
Fanchi noted his contributions to blazing trails in music as part of the reason the building holds his name.
"We really see him as this living legacy for equality," Fanchi said. "He did things and was the first to do things in so many ways."
Burrell said he was "thrilled" to learn about his name being attached to the project.
"I almost fainted," Burrell said. "I said, 'Oh I can’t believe this was happening, it's happening.'"
Burrell said he's lived in Denver for 80 years and credits many good memories to the Five Points neighborhood.
"It was magnificent," Burrell said. "I couldn’t believe there was an attitude and it was just so likable."
Despite the fond thoughts Burrell has of Five Points, even he knows the neighborhood isn't what it used to be.
"I remember when I first walked down 26th near the library area, it was beautiful," Burrell said. "Everything I ever dreamed of. But all of that now has changed."
Burrell has been present through major milestones in the project's development, including attending the topping-off ceremony for the building.
Fanchi said the homeownership opportunity is a way for Burrell to see his legacy in fighting for equal opportunities live beyond his years.
"He’s seeing these changes," Fanchi said. "And I know that he’d love to see that level of equity in his lifetime, and we would really like to show that as well."
Fanchi said the building is expected to be completed in the spring, with the first condo owner ready to move in mid-April.
She said people who are at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) with connections to the Five Points neighborhood through familial history, work, or school, are encouraged to apply for an available home.
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