A century ago, one in five Coloradans was of Italian descent. “It’s important to preserve what we have and recognize what was here,” says Jenna Peccia. “North Denver was predominantly Italian at one point. Italians were a huge part of the city’s development, but you don’t really know this unless you’re Italian.”
“I’m a third-generation of north Denver. From Italy, my family came right here to Denver,” says Dominic Ursetta, who’s joined Peccia in a push to create a historic district recognizing Denver’s Italian heritage. “I have so much pride for it. It’s everything I do and everything I represent in my life….Doing this is a recognition that even though it’s not as big as it was, we’re still here.”
The Little Italy district would preserve culturally-significant properties in the area, extending from West 38th Avenue to West 32nd Avenue between Zuni and Lipan streets in the Highland neighborhood, according to the proposal. The area is roughly centered around the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Catholic Church, which is already a protected Denver landmark…