Posted May 21, 2026
The Auraria Historical Advocacy Council and community members gathered on May 5 to break ground for the Peace and Healing Garden on the Auraria Campus, in honor of Displaced Aurarians.
This land possesses a rich history of connection & growth. Many different cultures have flowed through and settled on this site for thousands of years due to abundance from the rivers. Descendants of the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne nations maintain ties to this land.
In the late 1960s, Denver’s Urban Renewal Authority displaced the community, making way for Auraria Campus. A single block on Historic Ninth Street Park is the only remaining remnant of the now-gone neighborhood.
The vision for the Peace and Healing Garden is the result of an ongoing collaboration between the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council, Displaced Aurarians & their descendants, & staff from AHEC, CCD, MSU Denver, & UCD, with landscape design by Didier Design Studio.
Watch a video of the May 5 announcement here, produced by El Semanario.
The following are remarks by Sheila Pérez Kindle, Vice President of the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council on May 5, 2026:
“Thank you all for being here with us today to celebrate and mark this historic moment. Even with the questionable weather, you all made it!
“We are thrilled to see the physical work begin on our Peace and Healing Garden. This project has truly been a blessing and a labor of love.
“There are so many people to thank for their meaningful contributions to this garden — community members, students, faculty, and supporters. Thank you for standing with us and supporting our mission to memorialize and commemorate the families who once lived on this site and who were forced to make the tremendous sacrifice of leaving their homes more than 50 years ago.
“It is our hope that students, faculty, and all who walk through this campus will have the opportunity to experience the beauty of 9th Street, the remaining homes, and soon, this beautiful garden. We especially want the Displaced Aurarian Scholars to continue learning, preserving, and sharing their rich history in order to educate future generations and those who may be unaware of what transpired here.
“It is our desire that this space will offer solace — a place where people can sit in reflection and remembrance of what this land meant to the families who once called it home.
“This serene and beautiful Peace and Healing Garden will be named in honor of our comrade, Frances C. Torres — a major force within the Auraria Historical Advocacy Council and a dedicated member of the 9th Street Oversight Committee. Frances was amazing — a true warrior. We will forever be grateful for her leadership and for the impactful legacy she leaves not only here, but throughout our city.
“Frances was frequently invited to join many important causes and efforts, but she always made it clear that the Displaced Aurarians and the struggle for redemption were her passion. And as many of you know, she would encourage each and every one of us to follow our own passions as well. ¡Que viva Frances Torres!
“The Auraria Historical Advocacy Council continues its fundraising efforts in hopes that the front portion of Frani’s Peace and Healing Garden will be just as successful. Every donation is meaningful, no matter the size. ¡Muchísimas gracias!”
To learn more or to donate to the Garden visit their website https://aurariacampus.edu/auraria/historic-auraria/peace-and-healing-garden/.
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