Connecting and Transforming the Historic Loretto Heights Campus

Participants visit one of the transformational redevelopment of the historic Loretto Heights Campus. For 125 years, this well-known landmark in Southwest Denver has supported education and become a cherished space for adjacent neighborhoods. It includes the site of the Sisters of Loretto cemetery.

Westside Investment Partners purchased the property from the Sisters of Loretto in 2018, prompting an inclusive, city-led neighborhood planning effort that resulted in an adopted area plan and special PUD zoning. Thoughtful integration of open space preserved natural drainage ways, increased pedestrian accessibility, and created a contemplative space of remembrance for the deceased sisters. Envisioned as a mixed-use community with 1,200 residential units, the first project preserved a historic structure and provided needed affordable family housing at Pancratia Hall. Community interest in preserving the Loretto Theatre prompted the city to partner with the developer to acquire key sites to build out a home for culture and art in Southwest Denver, and key infrastructure improvements formalized new community connections through the once-private campus to the future Bus Rapid Transit Corridor along Federal Boulevard.