By José Esparza

If you have driven by the corner of West Alameda Avenue and Irving Street in West Denver, you probably have seen very large piles of dirt being moved around. Behind those dirt piles, contractors have been very busy since breaking ground a few months ago on constructing Westwood Crossing, a project that will include 98 affordable apartments and about 5,000 square feet of ground-floor office or retail space within a four-story building.

View of Westwood Crossing under construction looking northwest, July 2016.

The asbestos in the four houses on the site was abated and houses demolished. The residents moved into new homes under McDermott Properties’ relocation program.

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View of Westwood Crossing under construction looking northeast, July 2016.

Earth work is now completed. The rains of April and May slowed this phase of the project down, but concrete is being poured and the walls built for the podium.

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Concrete wall for the building podium under construction at Westwood Crossing, July 2016.

On the east side of the property, along South Irving Street, you can see the first floor being constructed which is where the leasing offices will be located. Due to the slope of the site, the podium is at street level with Alameda Avenue and one-story high looking north from West Nevada Place.

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José Esparza came to Denver in 2011 to study urban planning. He attained a BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a MURP from the University of Colorado Denver. Currently, José is Executive Director of West Community Economic Development Corporation, a 501c3 non-profit in west Denver, and serves on the Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee.