Six vendors open subsidized food hall in Sun Valley
The Denver Housing Authority is backing Eats on the Platte to give local businesses low-cost space as the neighborhood rebuilds.
By Diego Mendoza ·
Six food vendors are moving into a new hall in Denver's Sun Valley neighborhood.
Eats on the Platte offers these businesses subsidized rent and business support. The space is owned by the Denver Housing Authority. Chief Real Estate Investment Officer Erin Clark said the goal is to help local owners build a foothold.
The first group of tenants includes Jama Miami Cuban and La Brujola Cafe. Enrique Socarras owns the Cuban sandwich shop. He is building a menu centered on fresh bread and pastries to reflect his childhood in Miami.
Charleen Ramirez-Mares runs La Brujola Cafe next door. She is keeping the menu simple and focused on quality coffee. She told the Denver Metro Herald that the cafe avoids pretentiousness.
The food hall is one component of a larger redevelopment project in Sun Valley. In 2019, the Denver Housing Authority began demolishing more than 300 homes. The plan is to construct more than 900 new residential units in the area.
City officials are also building the Sun Valley Riverfront Park nearby. Clark said the housing authority wants to connect the park with the food hall. She described a goal of having residents roll up garage doors to eat, drink, and gather outside.
Socarras expects the new park to draw more people to the area. He predicted that cyclists and pedestrians will stop by the food hall once the riverfront is fully open.
Source: KMGH-TV · original report published
