Overview:
A plan to redevelop the Asia Center was withdrawn after a city review, but tenants and residents say the future remains uncertain.
The initial redevelopment proposal for Denver’s Asia Center has been withdrawn after city reviewers declined to approve the concept plan, but residents and business owners say the fight over the future of one of Federal Boulevard’s most recognizable cultural hubs is far from over.
The proposed redevelopment at 1000 S. Federal Blvd., near West Tennessee Avenue, would have demolished part of the shopping center and replaced it with a four-story mixed-use building with apartments, retail and underground parking. The plan drew immediate concern from tenants, nearby residents and members of Denver’s Asian community, many of whom worried the project would displace long-standing small businesses in the city’s Little Saigon Business District.
The proposal was marked “Closed — Withdrawn” in Denver’s permitting system on May 20. Denver City Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez, who represents District 7, confirmed that the most recent concept plans were not approved by the city, and no demolition or redevelopment permits have been granted. Bucket List contacted the property owner for more information about next steps but did not receive a response.
“I’m happy about the withdrawn status,” said Katrina Nguyen, a Denver native and real estate agent who has been heavily involved in organizing against the proposal. “I think that this is a temporary win, but I think that they’ll probably resubmit in the future.”
Nguyen started a petition to save the center after news of the proposal spread online. The petition has since drawn more than 18,000 signatures from people concerned about losing the businesses and cultural identity that have made the Asia Center a community gathering place for decades.
“The Asia Center on Federal Boulevard in Denver is a vibrant hub of culture, commerce, and history for the Asian community,” Nguyen wrote in the petition. “Yet, this crucial part of our community is under threat from plans to replace it with apartment blocks, risking the very soul of our neighbourhood.”
Businesses that could have been affected under the original proposal included shops and restaurants from Hong Kong BBQ to NovaCane Sugarcane. Tenants said they were not notified by the landlord before the plans became public, leaving them worried about whether their businesses would survive construction or whether they could return after redevelopment.
“My first reaction was, ‘I am frustrated,'” Nguyen said. “As a landlord, you have a responsibility to your tenants. You should be able to communicate with them about whatever plans that you have moving forward so they can plan accordingly. All I want is transparency and resources to help either retire, relocate or buy them out of their leases.”
Nguyen said she has been helping tenants understand what is happening and trying to find ways to preserve the local companies.
“The majority of the tenants are worried about what is going to happen with their businesses,” Nguyen said. “It looks like the majority of the leases will end in 2028. The tenants do not want to leave because the majority of them rely on the foot traffic of the shopping center in order to survive.”
For Nguyen, the situation feels personal because the property owner is also part of the Asian community.
“The sad part is (the landlord) is part of the community and has grown up in this area and understands the relevance of this particular shopping center and the historical aspect,” Nguyen said. “Change is going to happen regardless if we want it or not, but I think it’s how we go about that change and how can we also offer support, especially to smaller business owners.”
Other Denver residents echoed those concerns, saying the proposal raised larger questions about who gets to shape the future of Federal Boulevard. Karla Santillan, a Denver native who lives only minutes from the center, said she often eats at the restaurants there and believes community members need to speak up.
“It’s important to have our voices heard and not allow others to take away the community’s authenticity and culture,” Santillan said. “What is the point of pushing out a community that has been established first and putting another one in instead of actually helping the ones that have already been established?”
Raul Rodriguez, who regularly eats at Tony Pho in the Asia Center, said the owner should keep the shopping center as it is.
“The center has been here for many years, and there’s no reason to change that now,” Rodriguez said. “Tony Pho has the best pho I have ever tried, and I don’t want to see it go out of business.”
Alvidrez said she has been in contact with the developer and has pushed for more community engagement if the project moves forward.
“I have been in contact with the developer and talked to him about this project and gotten commitments to do community engagement,” Alvidrez said. “My hope is that this is an opportunity to engage with the community, and I have talked with different community leaders so we have that communication with them, and we’ve been trying to work to build their trust.”
Alvidrez said she has also been looking for nearby relocation options for businesses if a future version of the project moves forward.
“The fear is always going to be if we even temporarily relocate any of these businesses, will they be able to come back?” Alvidrez said. “That has been the issue. I’ve been looking for properties that are nearby that they could possibly occupy.”
Alvidrez said the proposed Federal Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit project may have played a role in the owner’s decision to explore redevelopment.
“He knew that the BRT was coming at that point when we met in 2024. He knew that the city wanted to take part of his land because they are trying to widen the lanes on Federal,” Alivdrez said. “So they were going to take some of his property, and I think he started to look at the parking lot situation.”
Alvidrez said her office is also working with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Community Planning and Development and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to better support businesses during the Federal Boulevard BRT process. She said she hopes the withdrawal of the initial concept plan gives the owner and developer a chance to reset the process and communicate more clearly with tenants and the broader community.
“I don’t have any type of enforcement except asking him to be more transparent and be more clear because this is a very sensitive topic,” Alvidrez said. “I hope that with this withdrawal of the application, it means that he’s going to turn a new leaf and be more transparent with the process moving forward.”
For now, the future of the Asia Center remains uncertain. No demolition permits have been issued, and no final redevelopment approval has been granted. But residents, tenants and community advocates say they will continue watching closely for any new proposal.
“I don’t know if I could ever stop the development because at the end of the day it is the owner that owns that building, and he can do whatever he wants to it,” Nguyen said. “I just hope that they do a better job in the future by communicating with their tenants and collaborating with the community.”
