Ayres Knowledge Center INDentrification Via Placemaking | Page 2

Driving into nearly every community, there are routes
through town that you'd rather avoid in presenting the
community's first impression to important guests like a
respected colleague or mother-in-law. Cheyenne,
Wyoming, is no different. Almost every authentic
community has areas where the vestiges of industrial grit
have suppressed property values and scared investment
elsewhere. Although not typically topping the list of
standout historic architecture, these warehouse districts
benefit from the recent romanticism of all things
bohemian. From craft brews to artisan makers spaces,
today's hottest reaches of redevelopment function like a
hipster relocation program.
This process of "INDentrification" is materializing in
metro areas across the country. One dramatic example is
the River North Arts District in Denver. As recent as 10
years ago, the neighborhood was dominated by
nondescript, ash-laden behemoths nobody would ever
have guessed would become the hottest zip code in the Figure 1 - The Steam Plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Mile High City. Historically, the area's proximity to the stands as an icon on the skyline, looming empty,
both rail and stockyards made it the perfect location for waiting for new development to take root.
drill manufacturers, foundries, and other auto-oriented repair shops. With few neighbors residing
in the immediate area, complaints about smoke and noise were kept to a minimum. Yet the
dramatic rise in values in the
neighboring Ballpark and
Lower Downtown districts
has pushed creatives to
"drive 'till they qualified" so
to speak in an area that
didn't appear receptive to
gentification.
The
conversion of formerly
prime industrial properties
gained traction thanks to the
white-hot real estate market,
a pending light rail transit
station,
and
growing
cultural
appetite
for
architecturally
honest
spaces.
Figure 2 - The Source, Denver, Colorado. River North Arts District was one of the first
pioneering revitalizations in this industrial district turned arts mecca. This former foundry
is now home to a variety of restaurants, food vendors, a flower shop and brewery.
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