IDE group uses City of Denver owned barn to help combat world poverty

Colorado organization IDE is using a 25,000 square foot abandoned barn owned by the City of Denver to help change processes that interfere with combating world poverty.

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The barn is a 25,000 foot space setup by Colorado organization IDE, a 30-year old group focused on anti-poverty efforts in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. IDE's Andrew Romanoff says the barn once housed the trolleys that served the Denver City Railway Company, as well as the horses that pulled them.

Today, many of building’s windows are blown out or boarded up. Inside, the brick walls have been charred by fire. The building, which is owned by the city of Denver, has sat this way for two decades. Then Romanoff’s group came along. The city and IDE are spending some $2.3 million to renovate it.

Romanoff says this place should look pretty different by next summer.

“Inside the building — although it’s difficult to tell now — once you get past the dirt floors and pigeons, you’ll find office space eventually for 30 different organizations and 120 employees," he said. "Half of the floor plan is designated as common space, so you’ll find conference rooms, and board rooms, a lunch room, a lecture hall.”

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Ivy Hughes is a Colorado native and coffee shop junkie. Contact her here.
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