The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
The Neighborhoods in District 6: Rosedale, Cory-Merrell, Washington Park, Belcaro, Virginia Village, University, University Park, and Indian Creek
Who Lives There: District 6 is one of Denver’s wealthiest neighborhoods (the average individual income is $63,897), and it’s also one of the city’s least diverse; about 87 percent of residents are white and only one in 10 identify as Hispanic.
About the District: It’s no surprise the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Denver and Washington Park are among the most popular in the city. As City Councilman Paul Kashmann notes, the district has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to park space, and is, overall, one of the healthiest parts of the city. But that popularity has led to population density—and with it has come serious congestion, particularly on thoroughfares like Colorado Boulevard. Overcrowding on the streets will continue depending on how development in the district is managed in the next few years.
You Might Remember When… In December 2018, Denver City Council voted 11–1 to approve the redevelopment of the former Colorado Department of Transportation headquarters at 4201 E. Arkansas Ave. The only no vote? Councilman Kashmann, who represents the community where developers plan to build up to 1,000 homes on the 12-acre site. Local developer Kentro Group agreed to include affordable housing, but that wasn’t enough to quell Kashmann’s concerns about rising property values and increasing congestion.
Who’s Running
Paul Kashmann is running unopposed for his second term on city council. Before he was elected in 2015, the 71-year-old published a paper in Washington Park for nearly 40 years and spent a decade before that working in the corporate world. Kashmann was born on the East Coast but has lived in Denver since the 1970s.
