CHAPTER NEWS
Welcome to Denver's Kappa Tower II
Above left: Established in 1984, Kappa Tower has 45 units. Kappa Tower II, Phase I began in February 2020 and will have 70 units. Phase II is expected to be completed in 2023 with another up to 50 units. The Honorable Wellington Webb provides remarks about the project.
O n February 28, 2020 Kappa Housing Inc (KHI), broke ground on the first phase of its second Senior Afford- able Housing project, Kappa Tower II, in Denver Colorado. In attendance were members of the Denver Alumni Chapter, Representatives from Senator Michael Bennet’s office, Colorado State Representatives James Coleman- mem- ber of Denver Alumni and who per- formed the Invocation, Representatives from Mayor Michael Hancock’s Of- fice, City Councilman Chris Herndon, Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, several members from the consulting, finance and construction teams involved with the project and members from the local community including our AKA sisters. The ground breaking received local reporting coverage from Channel 4, CBS News Denver. This land donation by Forest City, ‘the master developer of Stapleton. Kappa Tower II will be a four-story affordable senior independent living community for individuals age 62+ and has apartments for senior disabled persons. Phase 1 is comprised of 70 residential units, building amenities including communal space, and site amenities with parking. The building is
approximately 64,400 sq. feet and has a mix of 1 and 2-bedroom types that will be reserved for residents at the 30%-60% Average Median Income (AMI) level. Phase 2 consists of approximately 30-40 units which will complete the L- shaped building, in the future. Forest City, the master developer of Stapleton, (now Brookfield) donated the land and was a strong supporter of Kappa in its Litec Application process and getting the City approval of the project. The site is configured with a drop off area at the interior corner opening of the L-shaped building. Amenities include a communal kitchen, private dining room, multi-use/flex rooms, fitness/wellness center, computer center and extra wide hallways to accommodate walking inside the building during the winter months. There will be a corner reading nook and chairs on each floor for the tenants to enjoy. The building is wood frame above a concrete foundation/slab. The building elevation will reflect stacked residential units with large windows that maximize daylight penetration into the bedrooms and Juliet balconies in the living room. Communal areas where the ameni- ties are located will utilize a storefront system and will activate the building and the adjacent street through transpar- ency and appropriate, rich architectural
details. The exterior building material will be comprised of pre-finished metal panels, burgundy brick, and cementi- tious fiber board. Generous landscaping will be provided in the open spaces as well as the following site amenities: raised communal planting beds, shaded seating area with a park like atmosphere for picnicking and cooking out, trellis, and a dog park. Established in 1984, Kappa Housing Incorporated (KHI) is a 36-year-old 501(c)(3) private nonprofit corporation organized for the purpose of providing housing for low and moderate income senior citizens. In 1978, Denver Alumni Chapter Polemarch Chris Veasey hosted a meeting to discuss the viability of building a fraternity house for alumni members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. After much discussion and reflection, Polemarch Veasey revised his vision and the discussion turned from building a fraternity house to building a facility that would be multi-purpose and serve the community by providing low-income housing to senior citizens. In 1981, the Denver (CO) Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity set out on its plans to operate affordable housing for low- and moderate-income seniors of Denver by building Kappa Tower, a 45-unit senior housing project located
104 | SPRING 2020 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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