Program: Program: Denver’s visionary commitment to revitalizing existing communities through the dispersal and renewal of public housing projects came to fruition in 1998. The team of The Abo Group , Calthorpe Associates, the Denver Housing Authority, and Integral Properties, L.L.C. succeeded in obtaining a $25.7 million HOPE VI Grant from HUD. The grant recognized Denver’s commitment to and compliance with HOPE VI’s intent of bringing new life to one of Denver’s oldest traditional neighborhoods.

The Curtis Park housing redevelopment within the City of Denver is intended to provide affordable market rate rental properties and affordable home ownership opportunities within the historic Curtis Park Neighborhood. The project will replace 288 units of existing, dilapidated public housing in an 8-block strip which bisects the Curtis Park Neighborhood. Approximately 2/3 of the units will be reserved for publicly-assisted tenants.

Solution: Curtis Park represents The Abo Group’s latest effort in thirty years of successful housing design and community revitalization in Denver. The Abo Group designed several schemes of apartment, townhouse, duplex and “carriage house” units in 1, 2, and 3 bedroom configurations to meet HUD requirements. The number of units ranges from 116 to 133.

Preserving the “neighborly context” of the typical mix of townhouses and duplexes in the area, the new units primarily front the neighborhood streets offering an important sense of security for the residents. The new units reflect the historic character of the Curtis Park neighborhood with a subtle Victorian aesthetic through scale, materials selections, and detailing.

Incorporating a new concept, “carriage houses” will line widened internal lanes where traditional alleys would be.