Southwest Denver residents can now make their voices heard on the future of one of the area’s most visible landmarks: the Loretto Heights school campus.
City planners last week announced the launch of an online survey that will collect community input on the future of the one-time catholic girls school turned college. Loretto Heights is known across the south metro area for the towered administration building that sits at the heart of campus at 3001 S. Federal Blvd.
The survey — available at dpo.st/lorettosurvey — asks participants to pinpoint things they like about the 72-acre campus and surrounding area. It also asks what aspects of the neighborhood concern them or could use improvement, and what respondents hope to see in the future.
The survey can be taken in Spanish or English. It will be available online through Feb. 15. It is open to everyone but does ask participants to identify what neighborhood they live in.
It is part of a larger public outreach effort for Loretto Heights. The city has put together a steering committee with neighborhood residents and launched a stand-alone website covering plans for the property’s future, DenverGov.org/ lorettoheights. The city is planning a historic survey of the property and its buildings, according to a news release. The goal is to create an area plan, subject to City Council review and approval, that will guide long-term decision making.
A public meeting is being planned for Jan. 15 for those who prefer to comment in person, rather than online.
“This planning process will give neighbors a say and ensure this corner of Denver honors the neighborhood’s history, reflects the character and culture of the community, and meets the needs of residents there today,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in statement.
Loretto Heights dates back to 1891 when the Sisters of Loretto opened a girls boarding school there. It later became a college. Its most recent iteration, Colorado Heights University, announced it was closing in 2016 amid declining enrollment.
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The campus was sold this summer to Glendale-based Westside Investment Partners. The development company paid $15.75 million, according to city records.
Mark Witkiewicz, one of Westside’s principals, said the city is driving the community planning process, but his company is invested in bringing a community vision to life there. While Westside is considering a mix of uses for the campus, the only things set in stone for now are that the iconic administration building and an on-site cemetery will not be moved.
“What we want to deliver to the community is a gift, a place the community can call their own,” Witkiewicz said, likening Loretto Heights to the redevelopment of Union Station. “We are really looking for a community-led process.”
