A Mexican-American family seeking to sell their century-old Boulder home for redevelopment says the city’s opposition to their plan is racist and unfounded.
The 1,000-square-foot home at 2122 Goss Circle is on a is 10,000-square-foot lot in a central Boulder neighborhood formerly known as the “Little Rectangle” — a place once populated by black and Hispanic people, who were often barred from owning homes elsewhere in Boulder.
The property was purchased in 1949 by Frank and Mary Chavez, who renovated the circa 1890 home and added a two-car garage. The house is in poor condition and has been uninhabited since 2016, when Mary Chavez, now 95, moved to assisted living.
Chavez’s family has a buyer ready to close on the property, which is expected to fetch up to $800,000. The buyer intends to demolish the house and garage, then build a new single-family home.
City staff has advised the board to issue a 180-day stay of demolition, based on its “historic and architectural significance and as a property containing a well-preserved example of a vernacular house associated with the African-American and Hispanic heritage of Boulder.”
The family rejects the idea that the “heritage” of the property necessarily makes it a contender for landmark status, which would thwart the sale in place.
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