The GrowHaus is located in the north Denver neighborhood of Elyria-Swansea, a historic working-class community established in the 1880s. The area has long been surrounded by manufacturing and transportation infrastructure, and it has the dubious distinction of being the most polluted zip code in the state of Colorado. A longtime destination for recent immigrants, Elyria-Swansea has one of the lowest household incomes in the city, and low rates of education and employment levels. In addition, Elyria-Swansea residents have historically lacked access to healthy, affordable food and suffer from high rates of diet-related illness.
Despite these challenges, Elyria-Swansea remains a vibrant and close-knit community, with a wealth of cultural activities and many active organizations working to make it a better place. Today, Elyria-Swansea faces a new set of opportunities and challenges related to Denver’s rapid growth. In the next ten years, I-70 will be rebuilt through the neighborhood, two new light rail lines will be completed, and the National Western Stock Show complex will be redeveloped into a year-round attraction.
Throughout these changes, The GrowHaus is committed to working with residents of Elyria-Swansea to strengthen our neighborhood from the bottom up. We continue to base our priorities around resident feedback, and are proud to have community members involved in all levels of our organization, from volunteers to our Board of Directors.