A long-promised batch of affordable condos in Denver's Five Points neighborhood is finally about to hit the market. Construction on The Hattie McDaniel, a six-story, 62-unit affordable condo building, is wrapping up, with sales activity expected to kick off next month. The all-electric development is being pitched as permanently affordable housing for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. Developers say public tours open the first weekend of March, with a grand opening in April, and move-ins expected to start in May.
As reported by Westword, the Hattie McDaniel at 639 29th Street will include 25 one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and 21 three-bedroom homes and will be sold to buyers who qualify at up to 80 percent of AMI. Westword notes that construction is expected to conclude in March and that the project team will begin taking purchase contracts that same month. Pricing is expected to start around $240,000 and rise into the low $300,000s. The article quotes Invalesco sales lead Gilda Zaragoz, highlighting the building's durable steel-and-brick construction and a focus on low maintenance.
What buyers need to know
The project's official sales site lists homes starting at $240,000 and lets prospective buyers join an interest list or book tours, per the Hattie McDaniel. Elevation Community Land Trust will manage the land-lease model, which requires buyers to qualify at purchase and to resell only to other households at or below 80 percent of AMI. Priority is being given to people with historical or cultural ties to Five Points, those who work or rent in the area, or who have family roots in the neighborhood, as reported by CBS Colorado.
Design, features and amenities
Despite its affordability focus, the Hattie McDaniel will be all-electric and include in-unit heat pumps, Whirlpool stainless steel appliances, in-unit laundry, and dimmer switches in every room, Westword reports. To keep HOA costs down, the building purposely limits shared amenities to a lobby, a package room, and bike storage. The lobby will feature a live RTD map, and buyers will receive free RTD passes for two years. Covered parking is being reserved only for purchasers of the 21 three-bedroom units, developers said.
Funding and the neighborhood angle
The City and County of Denver's housing office and other public partners provided key financing and helped secure the RTD lot for the project, according to the City and County of Denver. The Regional Transportation District sold the parcel at a discount to enable permanently affordable ownership, and HOST contributed nearly $5 million in support, city officials said. Project partners say the community-land-trust structure is meant to keep the homes affordable over time and to let people with historical ties to Five Points return, a goal highlighted by CBS Colorado.
Timeline and tours
The Hattie McDaniel sales site and a March broker preview listing show a brokers' unveiling on March 5 and public tours beginning the first weekend of March. Interested buyers can sign up or book a tour through the project's website. The sales team says contracts will be taken in March, with a grand opening planned for April and move-ins beginning in May, according to the project materials and local reporting. Interested brokers can register via the event listing on Eventbrite.
For Five Points, a neighborhood long reshaped by rising housing costs, the Hattie McDaniel is being pitched as a test case for pairing transit-adjacent land with permanently affordable homeownership. Buyers and neighborhood groups will be watching whether the project delivers both quality construction and long-term affordability.
