Under the hot August sun on Thursday afternoon, in a formerly empty tract of land outside outside the Denver police’s District 4 station, a group of volunteers raked through soil and took wheelbarrows full of wood chips back and forth across the space. They were preparing the site to burst with flowers and produce next year.

The nonprofit Table Urban Farm is spearheading the site’s conversion into an urban garden. The organization has a network of gardens in southern Denver to grow food for the community. Co-director Jeanine Kopaska Broek said she had been looking for another garden site, and she noticed the station had an empty plot of land sitting out front.

“I deliver food to a food bank close by, and I have another plot close by, and I go to this King Soopers (nearby),” she said. “I just noticed this and finally decided to ask.”

The garden site sits on South Clay Street at West Warren Avenue in southwest Denver, across the street from a busy bus stop on the Route 35 line.

District 4 Cmdr. Brad Qualley said he believes the visibility of the garden is beneficial to the police’s efforts to build relationships with the community because it’s a natural conversation-starter, especially as people have seen the land transition from open space to a hub of activity. He added current and retired police officers have shown interest in helping with the garden.

“Anytime you have something that can open a door to start conversations, that’s what you want,” he said.

“This is definitely creating those conversations … because it’s hasn’t looked like this forever.”

The organization donates food to households in need, as well as to food banks and shelters. Kopaska Broek said the garden at the police station also has the potential to be used in educational programs for children to learn about planting and harvesting.

Volunteers have been preparing the District 4 site for planting in 2024 since it’s too late in the season for most crops. Though Kopaska Broek said there may be a possibility to plant garlic this fall, since it’s a bulb planted in October and harvested in July.

Preparing the land involves using the “lasagna” gardening method, layering waste items such as compost, wood chips, paper waste and coffee grounds that will decompose into soil. Qualley said that has also kept costs for the garden low so far.

“It’s just sweat equity right now,” he said.