El Merendero sits right in the heart of the recently-formed Westwood Arts District, directly abutting a future public plaza and across the street from 2-acres owned by ReVision and Lifespan Local. These community groups are working to develop their sites into a community-driven food hub, providing an unparalleled opportunity to support local employment and amenities for Westwood residents, catalyze tourism and commercial investment, and unite and engage the community across multiple shared living experiences.
In collaboration with Unit E Productions, Lifespace Local, From the Ground Up, Kitchen Network, and Mariscos El Malecon, BuCu West would like to transform El Merendero into a paragon of the long-desired community plaza uniting the neighborhood and bringing the area to life with art, music, food, and skills-based training opportunities.
Radian supported BuCu West and the team in developing the design concept for El Merendero Workforce Center. The planned facility improvements include three new outdoor seating areas, the build out of a full service coffee shop, rotating food trucks, artisan and music events, and the addition of a flex space adjacent to the building for community meetings, classes, and recordings.
The project goals include enhancing the local economy, providing career training with a focus on young adults, creating a central space for community members from Westwood and all over Denver to celebrate latino culture, enhancing pedestrian activity on Morrison Road, and serving as a resource for local residents of the Westwood neighborhood.
