Groundbreaking for a Library for Globeville!

The Globeville Community House, site of Globeville's first library

Globeville's first library was housed in the Community House, which was built during the summer of 1920 and accepted by the city at the Denver City Council meeting on December 29, 1920.

The Community House became a welcome gathering place, with an auditorium for plays, movies, dances, social functions, meetings and the resident thirteen-piece orchestra. In addition to the library, there was the University of Colorado Extension, which offered classes in home economics and American history. Two part-time social workers were available to help residents with legal and family issues, as well as learn American ways. 

During the Depression, Denver struggled with diminishing funds and reduced the hours of the city’s libraries to two nights and one day a week. On January 3, 1934, it closed the Globeville branch completely, posting a notice on the door. Immediately, Lad Felix and Adolph Anzich of the Globeville Voters Taxpayers Association organized the community, gathering signatures on petitions and demanding a meeting with the library’s board. At the meeting, Felix and Anzich explained that the library was used by foreign-born children and adults, and “played a great part in Americanizing residents.” The men pointed out that Globeville citizens paid a higher percentage of taxes than other areas of the city and were not receiving the same city services. The Rocky Mountain News kept the cause in the spotlight and the library was reopened on February 4, 1935. The News gladly proclaimed, “Globeville Branch Library Is Swamped as It Reopens.”

In 1950, the city again closed the neighborhood’s library, and, in 1952 the branch in nearby Elyria was closed as well. It would be more than seventy-five years before Globeville would have a library of its own.

The Valdez-Perry Branch Library opened at 47th and Vine March 18, 1996. Part of a major capital improvement project that began in 1990 when Denver voters approved $91.6 million in bond money. The library features a bilingual staff, meeting rooms, a large collection of children’s books, audio books, videos and magazines. There are computers, internet access and instruction in the use of both. But Globeville residents would have to walk more than a mile across busy streets and railroad tracks to get there. The nearby Bob Ragland Library at 1900 35th Street poses the same challenges. 

Gil Herrera and Nola Miguel celebrate

Globeville residents have wished for a library for a long time. In 2021, Denver voters approved Rise Denver Bonds for more than 80 projects and a library for Globeville was included.

$12 million dollars were designated for Globeville's Library and neighborhood meetings were held to gather input from residents, including the site, the "look" of the structure and what would meet the needs of the community. The GES Coalition steered the effort through the many hurdles that arose.

Dedication day was a culmination of the work of many individuals and groups. The building will be five stories tall and feature 170 affordable apartments (particularly important to so many who have been displaced over the last 70 years). Also included is a youth space, study rooms, meeting spaces, IdeaLab, computers and tech assistance. There will also be community-run Cafe. The completion date is set to be spring of 2027. At last!

A rendering of the building at 4965 Washington Street.
John Ronan Architects and Gilmore Construction Group 
listened to community input. 

 

Globeville Community Conversation About a Library

On July 20th 2022, thirty residents attended a meeting at the Globeville Recreation Center to discuss a proposed library for Globeville. Facilitated by Annie Kemmerling, Director of Neighborhood Services for the Denver Public Library, this was the second such community gathering. 

Kemmerling began by introducing Nola Miguel, Director of the GES Coalition and Tierra Collective Community Land Trust, library staff members, city agency staff and members of the Globeville Redevelopment Partners, LLC (GRP). She then gave an update on what was discussed at the previous meeting.

The facts are:

• The budget for the library is $12,000,000 

• The money comes from the voter-approved 2021 Rise Denver Bond. 

• The funds need to cover land acquisition, building costs,
   renovations, collections and equipment. 

• An estimated 8,000 - 10,000 sq. ft. is needed for the branch.

During the initial gathering, the neighborhood expressed a desire for a location close to schools and housing, accessible by walking and transit. (I wondered if anyone from the Development team had noticed the damaged sidewalks in front of the Recreation Center). Locations suggested at the previous meeting included: Argo Park, the former First German Congregational Church at 44th and Lincoln, several vacant lots, the former Salvation Army site at 47th and Broadway, and the lot at 4995 Washington Street.

At the July 20th meeting, Kemmerling gave an update on the status of the suggested sites. Most sites were ruled out for various reasons: 

• The city charter forbids building any structures on park land 

• The former church needs too many repairs, including asbestos removal 

• The vacant lots cost too much and need development from the ground up. 

• Two locations, the Salvation Army site at 47th and Broadway

   and the lot at 4995 Washington are still viable options. 

• The 4995 Washington location became the focus of the presentation.

David Block, from the Evergreen Real Estate Group (part of the Globeville Redevelopment Partners) shared his vision of combining low-income housing, a food market and the library at the 4995 Washington location. John Ronan of John Ronan Architects from Chicago showed slides of similar projects his firm had created in Chicago. Ronan emphasized that the projects he showed were to stimulate discussion and were not suggestions for the library in Globeville.

The meeting was then opened up for comments. Resident Jenny Santos said that it was remarkable that Globeville citizens are asked for their input and thanked the committee for the dialogue. Carla Padilla, longtime Globeville resident and Associate Director of the arts nonprofit Birdseed Collective, raised concerns about security and the homeless population that gathers around libraries. Padilla also hoped the architecture could reflect the blue-collar, ethnically diverse personality of the neighborhood and commented out that a lot of newer buildings seem very sterile. Anna Elizabeth hoped the library could provide a home to documents, photos and artifacts from Globeville.

Kemmerling thanked everyone for their participation and assured residents that their ideas would be taken into account. Although a date for the next discussion has not been decided, residents can share their wishes and concerns at:

community@denverlibrary.org

The building that houses the Globeville Recreation Center was originally known
as the Globeville Community Center and was built in 1921.
The Center had an auditorium for meetings, dances, and social functions.

It was also the location of Globeville's first library. 
Photos courtesy of the Denver Public Library

Annie Kemmerling, Director of Neighborhood Services
 of the Denver Public Library
Photo by Mary Lou Egan

 

Rocky Mountain Land Library in Globeville

Globeville’s North Washington Street is a hodge podge of auto repair shops, salvage lots, and cannabis and liquor stores. Nestled in this industrial mix is the newest branch of the Rocky Mountain Land Library, who’s tagline proclaims - A resource linking land and the community. An oxymoron? Globeville is not often associated with open space and it’s been a long time since the community had a library of its own.
First, a little history.
In the 1870s, the area was sparsely settled by homesteaders and ranchers. Within a decade, the arrival of railroads, smelters, foundries and meatpacking transformed the region into an industrial town.

 

 Sanguinette farm at 51st and Washington about 1880
Photo used with permission from Nora Duryea

The building at at 4800 Washington was once home to meat packers like Mountain States Packing (1924) and K & B Packing and Provisions (1934) that provided blue-collar jobs in the neighborhood. The packers were also major polluters, dumping their refuse directly into the Platte River, and generating a smell that would take your breath away.
But things are looking up.
Since the 1970s, with the founding of the Platte River Greenway the Platte River has received the care it deserved. Polluters were pressured to clean up and fined for dumping, while volunteers and municipalities pitched in to create trails, parks and recreation areas. A former sewage treatment plant at 54th Avenue and Washington has been transformed into Carpio Sanguinette Park, an oasis of cottonwoods, cattails and wildlife. Nearby is Heron Pond, home to herons, avocets, red-tail hawks and waterfowl.
Globeville’s library was founded in 1920 and located in the Globeville Community House at 45th and Grant Street. Eighty-five years ago, during the Depression, Denver closed the library. Although the Valdez Perry opened in 1996, Globeville citizens avoid crossing the railroad tracks to Elyria and rely on the little library in front of the Rec Center.
Enter Jeff Lee and Ann Martin, founders of the Rocky Mountain Land Library, who are restoring a former ranch near Fairplay to house their collection of 40,000 books about nature and the west. In March 2019, the couple opened a branch library in the urban frontier of Globeville, complete with books, events, a Book Club, book discussions, author signings and the cozy, civilized atmosphere of a real library.
Join the conversation. Nick Arvin will lead a discussion about Globeville’s first Book Club pick, The Summer Book written by Tove Jansson. Come by and get acquainted on Sunday, April 28th, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Register for this event on the website:
https://landlibrary.wordpress.com/