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Monday, June 1, 2009
Federico Pena
Mayor of Denver, 1983- 1991
Groundbreaking
at the Colorado Convention Center.
Mayor Pena, 4th from left
1988
Back in the early 1980's,
Denver had become stagnant city in terms of politics and
a decaying infrastructure. In search of new
visions and the need to propel our city into the future,
the people elected a young man, named Federico Pena,
Mayor of Denver in 1983.
Although not sure what it meant, the people of Denver
decided to embark upon a new visionary future.
Believing in promise and armed with faith, they saw
their cow town as a progressive and emerging city in the
country. People of Hispanic, Black and White
backgrounds brought energy for change; change that would
affect everyone. But they needed a leader, someone
filled with the same spirit and drive. Federico
Pena represented that spirit. And so, a new
journey began.
A shell of our city remained, some old buildings and
some new, an obsolete transportation system; we needed
to move fast into the future. A city is like a
person, all parts need to be healthy and working well to
move forward - the decision was made for transplants and
surgery.
You have a competition for a city, like everything else
in the world, you grow or decline. If a city is
progressive enough to forge a visionary path, that city
will triumph over others. So many ingredients to
the equation: equality, education, commerce,
environment, infrastructure, dreams and vision.
Groundbreaking
at Denver International Airport.
Mayor Pena , left 1989
For additional images and
commentary, please refer
to the Denver section.
Architecture In Our
Lives
Denver's older buildings
are our architectural heritage and part of the the
foundation that helps us bond our past and future.
I mention again, Denver's older buildings are our
architectural heritage and part of our foundation that
helps us bond our past with the future.
Remember those buildings our parents worked in, where we
were married, buildings we visited as a child? Our
architectural heritage is part of our history as people
and community. We sometimes mistakenly pay more
attention to the daily bad news on television than our
buildings that are truly our proud companions. When we
go to work, walk around our city, look at a beautiful
city vista, part of that belongs to us.
Architects,
construction workers, city planners, and us the
community, have been a part of the making of our city.
Looking Northwest from the
5th floor of the Volker Building onto the
area of 15th Street and Wynkoop Street 1987
When we look at or go into the Brown Palace Hotel,
Equitable Building, Oxford Hotel, Union Station, Capital
and Civic Center, Wynkoop Brewing Company, Edbrooke ,
Acme, Volker, Flour Mill, Streetcar, or any other
prominent historic building we are looking at some of
our history that was a gift from the past.
Many, many other areas of
Denver, outside of the downtown area, offer the same
important history and architecture. Take a walk around
our neighborhoods and enjoy the past...and plan for the
future.
For additional images and
commentary, please refer
to the Denver section.
- Kim Allen
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