Deep Partnerships Bring Impactful Progress for Two Long-term Real Estate Projects
In 2024, two long-term real estate projects broke ground, adding substantial vibrancy to two vital community spaces.
Deep Partnerships Bring Impactful Progress for Two Long-term Real Estate Projects
In 2024, two long-term real estate projects broke ground, adding substantial vibrancy to two vital community spaces.
From Gray Space to Green Space: CEA Breaks Ground on Community Plaza
Rashad D. Byrdsong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Empowerment Association (CEA), has dreamed of turning the parking lot beside his building into a community gathering and event space for quite some time. In October, after years of fundraising, Phase I of the project officially began! Phase II will take place in 2025.
Once completed, the 10,000 s.f. plaza will be a publicly accessible space that celebrates African American history and culture, further beautifies the physical core of the neighborhood, and serves as a literal and figurative connection point for Homewood.

Graphic image of the design plan for the plaza at CEA, rendered by Dario McPhee, Associate at Indovina Associates Architects LLC.
As a core partner to this project over the course of several years, Neighborhood Allies has directly provided approximately 1,000 hours of technical assistance (TA) Hours to date. This support includes:
$5,000 worth of in-kind design and storytelling services in support of the conceptual design phase of the project, equaling 56 hours of technical assistance from our Social Impact Design team alone.
$14,655 in predevelopment funds towards architect and engineer services.
Dedicated staff time and ongoing, hands-on support assisting CEA staff to apply for vital grants and government funding opportunities.
Direct project management and construction administration during Phase I.
Additionally, our collaborative work on this project has resulted in over $1.6 million dollars in grant funding leveraged!
Dive deeper into the project here.



LA Grocery Thrives Through Trusted Partnerships, Undergoes Store Expansion and Upgrades
LA Grocery, a one-of-a-kind specialty grocer in the heart of Larimer featuring handpicked, West Indian-inspired goods, has been a community staple for over 30 years.
More recently, store owner James (Dred) Duke has been working to improve the store’s space, operations, and customer experience for several years. In 2022, Neighborhood Allies Director of Community Investments Demi Kolke worked alongside the the Larimer Consensus Group to apply for and secure an $82,500 Neighborhood Initiative Fund (NIF) grant and an additional $12,000 façade grant from the URA. In 2023, the first active phase of renovations began. Improvements to the space included: a new façade, new customer-friendly shelving, new countertops and checkout counter, and new organization of the store. We worked with Dred, LCG, and a general contractor to manage the completion of the project.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Neighborhood Allies continued to partner with LA Grocery to raise funding for a second phase of construction. Demi researched and applied to several grants on behalf of LA Grocery and was able to secure $450,000 in funding in the form of a $250,000 state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Grant and $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding through the URA. Full funding for the project could not have been achieved without ongoing support from URA leadership and elected officials such as State Senator Lindsey Williams.
In 2024, the team broke ground on this second phase of construction. LA Grocery’s dream of an expansion into an adjacent lot that will allow for a prepared foods section and more space for goods was about to become a reality!


Partnership timeline:
2021 – Neighborhood Allies staff attend neighborhood tour, begin advocating for local and state support of LA Grocery.
2022 – Director of Community Investments, Demi Kolke, works with the LCG to apply for and secure a $82,500 Neighborhood Initiative Grant and a $12,000 façade grant from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
2023 – Using grant funding, renovations occur, outfitting LA Grocery with a new façade, new shelving and store organization systems, and new countertops. Fundraising for another round of renovations also begins with technical assistance from Neighborhood Allies.
2024 – Continued fundraising occurs until funding needed to carry out a store expansion is secured. Crews break ground on the addition in November 2024.
Neighborhood Allies’ support at a glance:
4 years of consistent partnership.
Approximately 500 hours of technical assistance and advisory services.
$544,500 dollars of funding leveraged as a result of fundraising efforts by our team.
Learn more about the project here.


