DENVER — The historic Cole neighborhood in Denver may have its charm, but resident Jessi Ryan wants her grocery store.
"When we got news that one was coming in, supposed to be back here, in 2019, we were really excited," Ryan said.
Ryan has lived in the neighborhood near 36th Avenue and Downing Street in Denver for three years.
"Neighbors are really friendly and it's just a great place to be," Ryan said.
In March 2019, the Denver City Council approved plans to turn the the corner of 36th Ave. and Downing St. into Cole Market. EXDO Development lists the project on its website stating that construction would begin in 2020.
"Within walking distance, there really isn’t anywhere to get good healthy food," Ryan said.
Instead of a grocery store, neighbors have a fenced lot currently being cited by the city for being overgrown with weeds and shrubbery.
"We see plans coming to fruition of more and more people moving in, more and more apartment buildings being built, I don't understand why it's not a priority to get food for all the local residents that are already here and the ones that are planning to move in," Ryan said.
Ryan said she's fortunate that she can drive 15 minutes to the nearest grocery store, but she worries about other residents who can't.
"It's the most important thing. It's what brings families together. It's something that everybody has a right to have access to food, especially in the city of Denver," Ryan said.
She said neighbors have been trying to get answers from EXDO Development with no success.
"I think all of us would be very grateful to have some honesty from the people that are developing here," Ryan said.
EXDO CEO Andrew Feinstein said complexities caused by the pandemic and increased construction costs have delayed the project.
Feinstein provided this statement to 9NEWS Monday night:
As a longtime resident, business owner and employer in the Five Points / RiNo / Cole community myself, my organization and our partners remain as dedicated as ever in our mission to cure our community's designation as a food desert. As evident by our successful completion of the conversion of Downing and Marion Streets from dangerous one-way streets to more pedestrian and bike-friendly two-way streets, we continue to work diligently on this project. That said, due to complexities caused by the Covid-19 pandemic combined with a sharp rise in construction costs, the project is taking longer than originally anticipated but we will nevertheless endeavor to deliver on our goal of bringing fresh groceries and affordable goods to our community.
The City of Denver said EXDO and the Cole Neighborhood Association reached a Memorandum of Understanding about the construction of the grocery store, but that MOU is non-binding.
Ryan just wants the promise to be kept to end what she calls a "food desert."
"It'll be perfect if we can just get a good grocery store," Ryan said.
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