Formerly incarcerated Denver man turned developer plans to revitalize RiNo community

DENVER – A previously incarcerated Denver man is now investing thousands and thousands of {dollars} to revitalize part of the RiNo Group.

“I’m an entire second likelihood story. And I should not be right here proper now,” stated Bernard Hurley. “I reevaluated my life after a time frame of incarceration, I ended up doing a big period of time.”

Hurley was launched in 1990 and moved to Colorado the place he began an environmental firm. He finally started buying land within the RiNo group and plans to revitalize it, calling it a “second likelihood neighborhood.”

“Seeing what’s attainable. I really feel it is also reflective to my life. It is type of like my life has been this, and so it is utterly applicable,” stated Hurley.

The Hurley Challenge will break floor in a few months. Part 1 will embrace 330,000 sq. ft of business area, 22,000 sq. ft of retail area and greater than 200 multi-family models.

“We really feel like that is going to essentially change into a vacation spot level for the town and it reveals off what you are able to do collectively with partnering with the town, as a result of like this promenade and the park are metropolis initiatives, after which working collectively to attempt to create one thing actually superb,” stated Hurley.

He plans to rent as many individuals from marginalized communities as attainable to work on his undertaking. Since he was given a second likelihood, he needs to pay that ahead by additionally hiring individuals who have beforehand been incarcerated.

“You understand, on the development facet, we have the overall contractor to agree to supply—they’re offering apprenticeship positions. [It’s] not simply previously incarcerated, however you realize, anyone that that that’s in a transition of their life,” stated Hurley. “Individuals make errors. Many individuals want second probabilities. It is forgiveness. It is restoration at second probabilities.”

He hopes greater than something to indicate others that you’ve the ability to construct your personal future.

“It’s superb. It is essentially the most superb feeling on this planet to have the ability to pay it ahead. Like I stated, I should not be right here, however I’m. And so it reveals what’s attainable, and to encourage different individuals to indicate you can overcome a few of these actually arduous hurdles in your life, so long as you simply preserve working and work arduous,” stated Hurley.