West 38th Avenue Marketing, Development and Activation Strategy

Client:
Wheatridge, CO

Wheat Ridge is a small community on the outskirts of urban Denver, Colorado that boomed in growth mid-century. It had remained relatively suburban in nature until recent years when development and growth in Denver began pushing new investment into Wheat Ridge, particularly as young families looked to find affordable housing in the Denver metro area. As this new investment occurred, the community struggled to determine a future for its outdated commercial core on West 38th Avenue. Though zoning, planning and market studies had all been completed, the community was not in consensus on the fate of its heart. Through an intensive visioning process led by Centro Inc. that engaged hundreds of investors, residents and the opinions of residents from communities in the surrounding area, Wheat Ridge’s unique aspects were revealed, and then brought to life through the development of a powerful new brand that has been integrated into the physical environment and implemented in new marketing and communications, programming and events. Ridge at 38 is the new hotspot in the Denver metro area – and at the heart of it is a revitalized public realm on 38th avenue anchored by the “Green at 38th”, a reimagined green space heart of the corridor that hosts events and activities year round for locals and visitors alike.