About UNNA

Our Mission

The University Neighbors Neighborhood Association (UNNA) is a volunteer organization that exists to protect and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Denver’s University Neighborhood community.

UNNA Area

The University Neighborhood south of downtown Denver is bordered by South Downing Street to the west, I-25 to the north, South University to the east and Yale Avenue to the South.

What is an RNO?

According to the Denver Gov website:

RNOs are groups formed by residents and property owners within a neighborhood who meet regularly and whose organizational and contact information is kept on file with the city’s Community Planning and Development Department. Like all organizations active in the Denver community, RNOs are an important part of the fabric of the city and play a key role in the ongoing effort to make Denver a great place to live and work.

According to the UNNA bylaws, the guiding entity of the University Neighbors is a Steering Committee, composed of a Communications Leader and a lead member of various subcommittees established by the Association. The Steering Committee is responsible for setting an agenda for meetings of the membership and for recommending priorities and actions to to the members.

Zoning and land use changes and issues have remained priorities for the UNNA, as well as dealing with many of the unique issues arising from sharing the neighborhood with the University of Denver.

The UNNA Steering Committee

The UNNA Steering Committee consists of the following subcommittees:

Business Relationships
This committee is focused on relationships neighborhood businesses, including property owners, renters, and the University of Denver

Traffic/Parking/Safety
This committee is focused on the issues of transportation safety and needs in the neighborhood and particularly around DU and community schools.

Zoning/Development/Planning/INC/ZAP
This is a hybrid of two committees:  Zoning and Development/Planning focuses on those issues of zoning and development in our area; the INC/ZAP committee is primarily interested in our neighborhood association’s participation in those two city organizations.

Communications
Communications is two-fold.  The main focus is communication within our neighborhood, keeping everyone informed of what is going on within our boundaries.  The Communications group may also work with the other committees to support outreach and other communication needs.

Outreach/Events
The UNNA strives to bring more people in our boundaries into the working group.  Events may be social or service oriented.

Ad Hoc
The Ad Hoc committee is a catch all subcommittee that covers new topics that may arise that need our attention.

The University Neighborhood Today

The University Neighborhood today is a vibrant community, filled with wonderful folks, from native Coloradans to recent transplants, from spirited students to engaged faculty, from young to old.

To address the issues and interests common to all of these residents and property owners, the University Neighbors Neighborhood Association (UNNA) was formed. All residents and property owners within the association boundaries are members of the UNNA. It is a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) with the City of Denver.

History

The neighborhood, of course, gets its name from University of Denver’s sprawling campus that takes up approximately 125 acres in the northeast corner of the Neighborhood.

The University of Denver began as Colorado Seminary, which was founded in 1864 by John Evans, then governor of the Colorado Territory.

The first graduate of DU got his diploma in 1884.

The land where DU sits was donated by Rufus “Potato” Clark, who imposed numerous conditions on his donation, including the planting of trees and the laying out of a street grid. Another big condition: no alcohol could ever be made or sold in the area.

After World War II, the area grew rapidly, bringing many students and families to the University Neighborhood.