Globeville, Denver

"[2] Planned in 1889, incorporated in 1891, and settled primarily by European immigrants during the late nineteenth century, the town of Globeville grew up around the Globe Smelting and Refining Company and a meat packing plant that had been established during this same period and benefitted from the proximity of a nearby railroad line.

Within a century, the area had become so contaminated by the operations of that smelting plant that environmental and social justice activist Lorraine Granado, a longtime resident of Denver's neighboring Elyria-Swansea community, founded the Cross Community Coalition to mobilize the residents of Globeville and Elyria-Swansea to try to improve their standard of living.

After opening a Family Resource Center at the corner of Josephine and 46th streets, Granado became the group's executive director and began working with other members of the community to create after-school tutoring, citizenship, English language, GED preparation, and job training programs, as well as home improvement and small business management classes.

[3][4][5] Coalition members also worked to mitigate the negative impact of the nearby I-70 freeway and factories by forming Neighbors for a Toxic-Free Community.

The current mix of multi-generational residents and new immigrants continues the rich diversity that the Globeville neighborhood experienced in the past.

Today, portions of Globeville continue to be physically isolated from the rest of Denver by the freeways, railroad lines, and South Platte River.

Several large operations and employers are located within the neighborhood and nearby, including the Denver Coliseum and Stock Show complex, the Bannock Street furniture business district, and the Pepsi bottling plant.

The Colorado Front Range Trail runs through Globeville along the west bank of the South Platte River and is used here mainly as a bike path.