Creating Space for Community Ownership

Helping Denver neighborhoods take control of their future through affordable, place-based investment.

Ownership

BuCu West is acquiring property and creating real opportunities for small businesses to take root, build businesses and own their spaces. It’s a bold, community-driven response to the displacement pressures caused by gentrification and a vital step toward lasting wealth, stability and self-determination in Westwood.

A Sustainable Model: Built-In Community Anchors

A woman with brown hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a black face mask and red Disney-themed T-shirt, is pouring red-colored ice cream from a squeeze bottle into a cone, in a commercial kitchen or ice cream shop.

When buildings are owned by mission-driven organizations, they become more than real estate they become anchors for community life. By owning commercial property in Westwood, BuCu West becomes more than a service provider — we become a permanent community anchor.

Our real estate allows us to:

  • Keeps storefronts accessible for local entrepreneurs

  • Provides stable space for essential services and programs

  • Ensures reinvestment stays within the neighborhood

  • Reinvest directly into community needs and priorities

Impact Area

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    300 Businesses Supported Annually

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    $110M Planned Public Improvements

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    5 Properties in Portfolio

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    28 Commerical Units

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    100% Increase in Latinx Ownership since 2010 in Westwood

Kitchen Network

Modern brick building, Park Hill Kitchen Network Campus, with large glass windows, surrounded by trees and a landscaped area, under a clear blue sky.

A non-profit food business incubator that supports food-focused entrepreneurs at all levels by providing affordable kitchen space, equipment, and industry guidance in a collaborative learning environment. Committed to the success of small local businesses, Kitchen Network works to increase cultural diversity and promote economic equity within the food industry.

Kitchen Network has two locations; nestled in the Westwood neighborhood on Morrison Road and in the Park Hill neighborhood on Quebec Street at the Mosaic Campus.

Access Made Possible – With two metro locations, we provide state-of-the-art kitchens and support services for food-based startups.

Incubating Success – In 2024 alone, we helped 180 culinary businesses launch, grow, and thrive.

Celebrating Food Culture – Our kitchens are more than workspaces—they are platforms for sharing our communities diverse culinary traditions.

Man standing with arms crossed in front of a colorful storefront on Morrison Road with a yellow sign that reads 'Envios Medina's 3'. The store has a teal wall with a barred window, an 'Open' neon sign, and various posters and stickers on the window.

Real Estate Unlocks Community Wealth and Investment

Property ownership transforms neighborhoods and not just economically. It creates leverage. It builds equity. It allows communities to chart their own course.

At BuCu West, our property ownership helps us:

  • Build equity as property values increase

  • Demonstrate experienced, community-driven success to strengthen investor confidence

  • Attract larger-scale investments and public funding opportunities

  • Lower barriers to ownership by creating pathways for small businesses to build and share in equity

Protecting Community Space

Arturo's art gallery and studio, with two people, one man with glasses and a woman with curly hair, standing near colorful paintings, with one painting of a person with black wings, and other artworks in the background. Morrison Road, Westwood

Real estate gives us the power to protect what matters most. Community-owned property helps ensure that the people, cultures, and businesses that define Westwood aren’t pushed out — they’re uplifted.

In a rapidly changing city, we use property ownership to:

  • Shield small businesses from displacement and rising rents

  • Support culturally diverse businesses that reflect and serve the neighborhood

  • Provide space for cultural events, small business incubators, and community programs

By keeping these spaces in community hands, we preserve the cultural identity and economic resilience that make Westwood unique.

A dining area with round tables covered with white tablecloths, each with a small decoration, and wooden chairs. The room has wooden floors, a ceiling with warm lighting, and large windows with curtains. Kitchen Network Park Hill Facility
A diverse group of four chefs in a commercial kitchen preparing vegetables, smiling and working together. Kitchen Network Denver
Colorful mural of a person with curly hair and a red star on forehead, standing outdoors with trees in the background. Morrison Road, Denver, CO Mural
Colorful storefront with outdoor seating, decorative Mexican papel picado banners, and a sign reading 'Now Open' on Morrison Road in Denver.
A white delivery van parked outside a red commercial building with green awnings, signage for Kitchen Network Bottling Co and Morrison Road Complex, and reserved parking signs.