Eiber Neighborhood Association

The history of Eiber is like that of many inner suburbs of large cities across America. Following settlement by daring pioneers, descendants of those brave families built extensive agricultural systems and displaced Native American populations and the herds of buffalo and elk that previously frequented this area. Irrigation ditches, dirt and gravel roads, and fence rows converted the foothill prairie into a mosaic of land uses patterns that we recognize even today as rural America.

Legions of early adventurers and settlers, including fur trappers, miners, rail men, cattlemen, and timber workers, passed through the Denver region in search of riches in the nearby mountains and plains. They needed the agricultural products originating in Eiber and were a market for the local farmers.
Today, it is hard to imagine that the area that is now Eiber Neighborhood was once a farming community. Suburbs have overtaken the farmland, replaced by manicured bluegrass lawns, asphalt and concrete roads and parking lots, homes, and buildings. The orchards, livestock, and agricultural cropland have faded with the passage of time. Still, modern residents can see the vestiges of our agricultural heritage in the irrigation ditches, remnant fruit trees, historic landmarks, and even in the zoning ordinances that allow for horses, chickens, bees, and other livestock. These are just a few of the things that make our neighborhood unique.

People tend to reminisce about this early history and lament its passing. But, today we enjoy a quality of life that would have been unimaginable to those who originally cultivated the area. Those nostalgic times were in fact often difficult, dangerous, and lonely as compared to today. One hundred years ago people accepted their lack of mobility, medical care, utilities, and the isolation. Today we expect much more and Eiber is fully meeting the demands of today and the future is bright.

Now the Eiber Neighborhood is undergoing a sort of transformation, with developments that will set the stage for a promising future that builds upon Eiber Neighborhood’s rich heritage.

For example, the RTD light rail system – which will include three transit stations in Eiber Neighborhood – will connect residents to downtown Denver, Golden, the Federal Center, St Anthony’s Hospital, and other transit lines. Residents of Eiber will be able to commute car-free as they wish, making this neighborhood an attractive residential area with easy access to essentially the entire region.

The current light rail development actually follows the same route of the Denver and InterMountain Railroad, which ran between Golden and Denver, and served the area in the early 1900s. The current FasTracks developments utilize the old line that paralleled 13th Avenue. Now pockets along this corridor are slated for a new and different kind of change.

For example, Weston Solutions, Inc., a prestigious environmental and urban development firm, has chosen to build its regional headquarters in Eiber Neighborhood near what will be the Garrison Street Station. Weston is building a mixed-use development consisting of high-performance “green” buildings on the SW corner of Colfax Avenue and Garrison Street. This is the first mixed-use development (i.e., with cafes, restaurants, retail shops, and office space) along the west corridor of the light rail system. Each of the three future light rail stations in Eiber are likely to attract more mixed-use development. where residents can shop and socialize near where they work and live.

The regional bike trail along 13th Avenue is undergoing enhancements, including bridges over major roads and a paived bike trail sections. This segment of the region-wide bike trial system will link local neighborhoods to one another and encourage bike riding.

The Wadsworth Boulevard Station has been dubbed the “Gateway Station to The City of Lakewood” and will be an innovative structure – actually suspended on a platform above Wadsworth Boulevard – that will be coupled to a modern parking structure with plazas, where individuals will be able to sell their wares and residents can purchase art and produce from local artists and farmers. Areas around the core of Wadsworth Boulevard and Oak Street Stations are rezoned as transit mixed-use, or TMU, which permits compact housing, office, retail, and entertainment venues that give rise to vibrant mixed-use urban villages. Such high-density mixed-use developments are known to appeal especially to young adults.

Historically, this region has thrived and with the major investment slated for the West Corridor and the anticipated transit-oriented developments, there is great promise for the future. Our Eiber Neighborhood community has a rich and proud history that is always in the making, as much today as at any other time.