About NEWSED

NEWSED is a Community Development Corporation (CDC) that has served the Denver Community since 1973.

Mission

NEWSED promotes community development to underserved populations in Colorado by providing navigation for housing services, nurturing small businesses, and promoting asset creation.

History

Historically NEWSED’s primary focus has been to solve long-term economic problems in disadvantaged communities by securing and coordinating resources for neighborhood revitalization, developing needed shopping areas and services, fostering minority and neighborhood business ownership, job retention and creation, increasing home ownership and affordable rental opportunities, neighborhood organizing and hosting cultural events and activities that showcase the neighborhood’s predominately Chicano/Mexicano/Latino population. Throughout its over 50-year history NEWSED’s programs and initiative have evolved to meet the ever changing needs of the community. In short, NEWSED promotes holistic social and economic development opportunities.

Past Development Projects

Click here to read more about NEWSED’s past development projects.

Organizational Accomplishments – a timeline


  • 1973

    NEWSED, Inc. becomes the community economic arm of the West Side Action Center.


  • 1978

    NEWSED writes and submits a concept paper for The Parkway Center that was then adopted by the City of Denver and submitted to HUD. As a result the city receives $13.5 million through an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG), which in turn generates $110 million in project development. The outcome is over 1100 units of housing, an office complex, King Soopers grocery store, and the impetus for the redevelopment of Santa Fe Drive. NEWSED administers $2 million of the UDAG grant used for loans, grants, street scaping, fix-up and repair for every house and street in the La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood.


  • 1978

    Veronica Barela transitions as a NEWSED board member to Executive Director.


  • 1979

    NEWSED opens a Business Support Office for Santa Fe Drive. A nonprofit merchants association called, Santa Fe Drive Redevelopment Corporation (SFDRC) is created and begins revitalization efforts.

    Zocalo Shopping Center located at the corner of West Colfax and Kalamath Street is erected and consists of 23,000 square feet of retail/office space. This development was the first new retail development in the community in over 20 years and created 100 jobs.


  • 1984

    NEWSED, Inc. becomes the for-profit wholly owned subsidiary of the newly formed non-profit NEWSED Community Development Corporation.

    Plaza de Santa Fe located between 13th and 14th Avenue on Santa Fe Drive across from King Soopers is erected and consists of 18,000 square feet of retail space and created over 75 jobs. NEWSED's development partners are Bob and Linda Alvarado of Alvarado Construction.


  • 1986

    801 Santa Fe Drive development is erected. Its first tenants are Grease Monkey and Chubby's Restaurant and created 20 jobs.


  • 1987

    Cinco de Mayo is brought back to the neighborhood and takes place along the Santa Fe Drive main corridor. 5,000 people are in attendance in the 1st year but quickly grows to more than a 100,000 people several years later.


  • 1988

    NEWSED acquires and redevelops the property at 733 Santa Fe Drive which currently houses a Wells Fargo ATM kiosk and has 2,126 square feet of store front space.


  • 1990

    NEWSED begins a new event tradition in honor of the September 16th Mexican Independence Day honoring the treaty of Guadalupe Hildago. The event is called El Grito de la Independencia. El Grito takes place on Santa Fe Drive for 17 years and is retired in 2007. The event attracted up to 80,000 people over a two day weekend.


  • 1992

    The Civil Rights Awards begins as a NEWSED produced event honoring individuals and organizations in the community that work to advance the social justice movement. In the inaugural year NEWSED awards eight individuals and over the next several years honors six annually most notably; Delores Huerta, Vine Deloria, Corky Gonzales, Henry Cisneros, Wes Studi, Russell Means, Secretary Ken Salazar, The Southern Poverty Law Center and so on. Annual attendance is approx. 550 people. The event takes place at the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.


  • 1993

    NEWSED acquires the building at 1029 Santa Fe Drive which is 35,000 square feet and begins operating a record and self storage business.


  • 1994

    NEWSED starts another community event called Luminaries de Santa Fe Drive that takes place the 2nd Friday of December. Thousands of luminaries are placed along the Santa Fe Drive corridor and in store fronts between the 600 and 1000 blocks for one evening.


  • 1995

    A $3 million dollar, six year grant from national funder Annie E. Casey Foundation is given to NEWSED as a part of their "Rebuilding Communities Initiative". This grant is used to host human service programs for Denver residents under the direction of the PODER Project. Services include; Community Organizing, Mental Health Counseling, Domestic Violence Advocacy, and Substance Abuse Counseling.


  • 1997

    NEWSED begins a Housing Division with an initial focus of providing affordable housing services in the form of one-on-one counseling, down payment assistance and CHFA approved workshops for interested 1st time homebuyers.


  • 1998

    As an added component to the Housing Division NEWSED begins the process of refurbishing and affordably selling single family homes, completing a total of 8 homes all within West Denver from 1998 to 2003.


  • 1999

    Palacio Inca located at 844 Inca Street is erected and is NEWSED's first multi-unit affordable rental housing facility. It consists of 12 units.


  • 2002

    Inca Townhomes located at 632 Inca Street is built and sold to individual buyers increasing community access to affordable homeownership.

    NEWSED in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Mexican Consulate and the Mexican Cultural Center begin a new event called Un Toque de Mexico (A Touch of Mexico) that takes place a few days before the Cinco de Mayo Festival. It is an elegant event that combines classical compositions with Mexican performing artists including; Mariachis, folklorico dancers, vocalists, youth and special guest performers.


  • 2005

    La Villa de Barela located at 901 West 10th Avenue is erected and is NEWSED's first multi-use development incorporating office/retail space and 38 units of affordable housing. The project is NEWSED's most expensive to date and currently houses NEWSED's home office and two retail businesses; Interstate Kitchen & Bar and Frills Cake Shop.


  • 2006

    As an added component to the Housing Division and in response to community need NEWSED begin Foreclosure Counseling. Currently NEWSED is linked with the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline.


  • 2007

    NEWSED acquires a multi-family affordable rental housing unit in West Denver located near 10th and Sheridan. It has 63 units and is geared to be a "transit oriented development" because of its proximity to an RTD Light Rail line.

    NEWSED brings back its Affordable Homes for Purchase program. Initially the program focuses on purchasing, renovating and selling formally foreclosed and HUD properties. A few years later NEWSED begins working with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) under the Obama administration.


  • 2008

    NEWSED in partnership with Del Norte Development Corp. and Northeast Denver Housing Corp. brings 10 million of Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funds to Denver through a National grant Administered by Chicanos Por la Casa a statewide C.D.C located in Phoenix Arizona.


  • 2011

    Phase One of Chaffee Park Senior Residences located in Denver's Sunnyside neighborhood 4580 on Tejon Street is completed. NEWSED partners with affordable housing developer, The Bergwyn Company. Chaffee Park is made up of 62 units and is one of the only senior residences in Sunnyside allowing many long time residents the opportunity to move back to their original neighborhood.


  • 2012

    Phase Two of the Chaffee Park Senior Residences at 4585 North Shoshone Street is completed. This project is called Shoshone Senior Residences and is again a project partnered with affordable housing developer, The Bergwyn Company. The facility is 34 unit extension. Both Chaffee and Shoshone residences are tax credit projects to serve seniors, 62 and older, who make 60% or less of area median income (AMI).


  • 2013

    In a continuation of our mission to promote West Denver economic development and increase adult self sufficiency though business support NEWSED opened the doors to Denver's first retail and office incubator program called The ZONE Marketplace at 725 Santa Fe Drive.


  • 2015

    Two major community and program developments took place in 2015. In 2014 NEWSED, several West Denver neighborhood stakeholder groups and the Office of Economic Development worked toward the implementation of the Santa Fe Business Improvement District.  The Santa Fe BID was created to implement new and improved services through a special tax assessment for the Santa Fe Drive commercial corridor between the 6th and 13th Avenues. These services include; Physical Improvements, Maintenance, Economic Development and Safety. In addition NEWSED implemented another first time program to increase financial opportunities for existing and new clients called Lending Circles through a partnership with San Francisco based organization - Mission Asset Fund. NEWSED is the only Lending Circle provider in Colorado.


  • 2018

    It was the end of an era at the end of 2017 when long time President and CEO Veronica Barela retired after serving 40 years in her position. Her successor and daughter, Andrea Barela, began as NEWSED's new President/CEO on January 1, 2018 after serving as the Development Director for 16 years.


  • 2019

    NEWSED licenses and pilots a new program from Seattle based nonprofit Ventures. It's an Business Basics Course program.

  • New Seed Lending

    2021

    NEWSED launches subsidiary entity, New Seed Lending to provide small business loans. Begins partnership with Mile High United Way and Alpine Bank.


  • 2023

    NEWSED sells Jody Apartments to longtime community partner, Archway Housing.