Colfax is America’s longest commercial street. It has a vast history from the beginning of the city, but its condition has become worse over the past few years. If you’ve traveled down Colfax near downtown recently, you probably noticed that many buildings that previously housed businesses and restaurants are sitting abandoned.
Metal bars cover shattered windows, trash lines the streets, fences block off large parts of sidewalks and the houseless are everywhere. So what happened that led to Colfax’s deterioration, and is there any hope in reviving it to its former days? 303 Magazine met with some of the business owners on Colfax to get the rundown on what is happening with one of Denver’s most historic and well-known streets.
Jon Mascarenas (Right). Photo by Sauce Money Barbershop, via Facebook
Meet Jon Mascarenas, The CEO and Master Barber of Sauce Money Barbershop. Jon opened Sauce Money Barbershop at 907 E Colfax Ave., during the pandemic — a bold move at the time.
Mascarenas used to work at a barbershop in the same location in 2011 and always thought about owning the shop. During the pandemic, he would be given that chance. Mascarenas was working at a shop down the street when all the barbershops were ordered to close.
One day Macarenas saw that the retail space was for rent. “ I was going one way, pulled a U-turn, and stood here for two hours until I was able to get ahold of the landlord,” said Macarenas. “I signed the lease five days later.”
Since opening, Sauce Money Barbershop has become a staple of the area, and business has been good, though that seems to be an exception on Colfax and not the rule. Macarenas talked about how they have been able to outlast so many other businesses by saying, “I believe people will always need a haircut. I’m a businessman and I know how to hustle. In Barbering, once you build that clientele base and loyalty, it takes a lot to break that.”
Photo Courtesy of Sauce Money Barbershop, via Facebook
For the last 10+ years, Macarenas has seen Colfax change for the worse. “This is really the heart of the city. You see everyone from millionaires to dope fiends. Back then, it wasn’t as grimy as it is now. I think drugs and homelessness have a lot to do with it,” said Macarenas. “The homeless can post up wherever they want now due to some of the laws.” He has hope that the new Mayor of Denver will take action.
Macarenas operates on the principle of treating everyone equally. “Your status doesn’t mean someone is better. A lot of these people just need someone to talk to,” says Macarenas. “We do get guys who are aggressive and disrespectful and we have to stand our ground.”
Not just a great barber, Macarenas is a good human who believes in giving back to his community. Before the interview started, Macarenas grabbed a water bottle and walked outside to hand it to the presumed houseless man hanging near the shop. He later commented on it, “Being down here every day, you see the same guys, just stop and talk to them. It’s a good feeling.”
Photo Courtesy of Capitol Hill Books, via Facebook
Meet Holly Brooks who has been the owner of Capitol Hill Books for the past 19 years of the stores’s 44-year history. Located on the corner of Colfax and Grant, right across the street from the Capitol Building. Capitol Hill Books is truly one of Denver’s great spots.
Brooks has seen Colfax at its highest highs and lowest lows over the years. “At first, it was all good. Nicer stores and restaurants were opening up,” said Brooks. She paused, “Colfax has always been problematic in terms of street people.” She went on to praise the work that the city and community had made to clean it up,
“They had gotten around to decorating the street and picking up all the trash, so that was good. Then we had COVID. They closed us down. The only thing allowed open was the dispensary and the liquor store.” During this period, Brooks talked about how there used to be four restaurants on just their block that closed. She stated, “That really hurt business. I mean two months with our doors closed hurt, but not having the pull of people going to the restaurants was tough. It still is tough because they are still closed.”
After COVID, things got worse for the store. Their proximity to the Capitol Building means that every protest and demonstration passes in front of the store. This became a problem during the George Floyd Protests, as Brooks recalled, “We had damage done at night during the demonstrations. We had windows broken and one of our neighbor’s decks was set on fire, so it has gotten worse since COVID.”
Though one protest gave them their best business day that year. As Brooks explained, “After the Women’s March, we had so many people in our doors, bless their hearts. It is also entertaining to have Pride Fest. We have the perfect place to watch from.”
Even after the social unrest, the store was not out of the woods yet, as a truck crashed into the store. A notebook where the staff keeps track of notable events at the store read “ 11/17/21- A red truck full of scooters crashed through the wall and destroyed the glass case. Godzilla survived.” Brooks had a sense of humor about the situation by joking, “What’s a truck when you’ve had COVID.”
Photo Courtesy of Capitol hill Books, via Facebook
The bookstore has had its problems with aggressive individuals coming inside, though Brooks said she is usually able to handle it on her own with calm words, whereas the person might get more aggressive if confronted by a male worker. But when talking about the current state of Colfax, Brooks said, “They sort of cleaned it up, but if you go two blocks down, you see tent city. I just don’t know how that is going to work out.” Despite its present conditions, Brooks does have hope for the future of the area, but how that will improve remains to be seen.
It’s clear that Colfax is struggling. The area is a shadow of its former self, but it’s thanks to the tenacious business owners of the street that keep the spirit alive. It has some of the best bars, restaurants, stores and concert venues in the city making an eclectic nightlife, but it’s hurting badly. As Macarenas explained to 303, “ I would say it’s better here at night because all the bars are open and the concerts are going. So a lot of patrons are down here. So the drug addicts and homeless that are here during the day fall into the shadows at night.”
The city is taking strides to help revitalize the area with initiatives like the Colfax BID (Business Improvement District), which focuses on helping struggling businesses on the street with grants. Businesses can sign a no-trespassing agreement with Denver Police, where the police can charge for trespassing after business hours. Another notable example is the 24-hour block initiative to have businesses open 24 hours a day to create high foot traffic and push ne’er-do-wells out of the area. Though business owners are hoping the city will take more action.
But what do you think? Is Colfax too far gone, or will it rise up from the ashes of its former self and become the glowing beacon this city needs?