Montbello FreshLo Hub nearing completion in Denver

Montbello's FreshLo Hub is almost complete with the goal of creating 97 affordable housing units in the Denver neighborhood.  

Construction on the six-floor, community-led development started a little more than a year ago. It comes with a mixture of 49 one bedroom units, 33 two-bedroom units, and 15 three-bedroom units. On the ground floor will be a mental health center hosted by the nonprofit WellPower. It will also include some retail space, a business incubator for local entrepreneurs, a fitness center, and a multipurpose room. Organizers say the building of the FreshLo Hub is just the first part of a three-part plan for the community.

"Next door will be the grocery store and more retail spaces," said Donna Garnett, who is the CEO of the Montbello Organizing Committee. "And then also will be building an arts education center to provide arts and the type of opportunities children, youth, and adults."

The grocery store next to the FreshLo Hub will be from Daily Table, which is a nonprofit community grocery chain founded by Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe's. The grocery store and the arts and education center is expected to be built by the end of 2024.

"One of our goals has been development without displacement. We don't want to see our neighborhood gentrified. We want the people who love it to live here, work here, play, pray here, be able to stay here," Garnett said.

The FreshLo Hub will be the only affordable housing development in Montbello that provides multi-bedroom units suitable for families earning 30, 50, 60, and 70 percent of area median income. Applications are expected to open in May with the grand opening in the fall.