DENVER (KDVR) — The smell of fresh asphalt, the sound of fountains hitting the pavement, and the sight of downtown Denver all loom over Denargo Market: An area in the middle of brand-new apartment complexes.
“It’s been a dramatic change here, especially with rhino being a really great community for all the people around, especially with all the dogs and the parks and the sidewalks and people doing the exercises,” RiNo resident Jarvis Gullet said. “So, really nice to have this kind of area being built around here.”
A years-long project with phase one now complete. Residents in the area walk their dogs, taking in the open space.
“It started off as just like a dirt pile, so I didn’t really know what was happening. We heard a lot of different things about what it was, but it is really cool to see like, what they’ve done with the space,” RiNo resident Katy Higginbotham said.
Although it may look nice, some, like Katy Higginbotham, still feel unsafe not knowing how the issues she has seen over the years are going to be addressed with all the rapid changes.
“It does worry me a little bit of what’s gonna happen to it after the niceness wears off,” Higginbotham said. “I hear gunshots all the time. There’s always police presence. Kind of the main reason why I’m getting out of here,”
Putting the security of herself and her dog first.
“I think the main thing for me is just wanting to be able to feel safe walking around my own neighborhood. And that’s not something that I feel here,” Higginbotham said.
But others like Jarvis Gullet have spent years watching the area change, and are taking their first steps in the now walkable space.
“I do plan on living here about, you know, another three to four years. So I’ll definitely be around to see more buildings being built here and hopefully even more of a bigger community around here in the rhino area,” Gullet said.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
