As the momentum behind the rebirth of the National Western Center ramps up, a group of Globeville, Elyria and Swansea residents are pushing to keep their voices heard as the city begins to eye plans for a neighboring slice of land known as “The Triangle.”

In what city officials call a rare opportunity, members of the grassroots community coalition joined city council members at the Budget and Policy Committee meeting Monday, offering their views on the 65-acre piece of land on the southeast side of the new facility.

With the construction of the first two phases of the campus already well underway, the city is working with the National Western Center partners and the Denver community to prioritize the remaining phases and buildings, and identify the best method for delivering them.

“If you take a close look at the first two slides of the campus, you’ll notice something striking,” former Denver City Councilmember Candy CdeBaca said. “Not a single mention of the GES community.”

CdeBaca added: “The truth is, GES has been shut out of every major phase of development on the National Western campus, and the Triangle is our only real shot at community-serving development. We see an opportunity here, and we’ve invested our time to work with the city to ensure we are not left out.”

A year ago, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston joined a tour led by the GES coalition and community members and pledged his support for a community-driven process for the Triangle land, said Mike Bouchard, Executive Director of Denver’s Office of the National Western Center.

Bouchard said the city launched a six-month listening period where community members provided guidance, recommendations and strategies for “shared decision making, accountability and transparency.”

“We’re standing firm that before any plan is finalized or any zoning or financial decision is made, we need a process that starts with concrete commitments to GES community ownership and perpetual stewardship of our land,” CdeBaca said.

Increased community engagement, community connectivity and resiliency, shared decision-making and transparent two-way communications were among the four goals the GES workgroup identified as ways the city could work to build a partnership.

Harmony, a mother and self-described environmental organizer, said among the group’s top concerns are health, housing insecurity, and safety, adding that engagement needs to come from “trusted partners within the community and start with a community benefits process.”

According to slides presented at the committee meeting, community benefits may include, along with community ownership, impact fees and incentives for small businesses.

Block captains or community ambassadors, group members said, could help increase trust and drive the engagement process through methods such as deep canvassing.

“My community has spent years envisioning what the Triangle can be doing, so at our own expense, independent of the city, a few of us on this committee have worked together to create a plan to effectively reach our neighbors,” said Jennifer Winkle, a workgroup member. “The most important pieces of this plan include who is giving input and reaching those who don’t typically feel comfortable to engage.”