The Action Center Move Raises Questions

Is Lakewood ‘s well known and respected Action Center ready to abandon some of their most vulnerable clients? Specifically, their 14th Ave area community of socially vulnerable persons and move to a location with a lower need for Action Center services.

This fact is based on the Centers for Disease Control Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/svi-interactive-map.html

Lakewood has endorsed this Index because they tout it extensively when they claim their support for ‘equity’ in their Imagine Tomorrow Master Plan and especially Appendix E.

‘Equity’ is only applied selectively by Lakewood. For example, the 10 or 15-minute walk distance to a park goal is considered necessary for ‘equity’ but no similar city wide standard has been defined for rec centers even if it were for a 30 or even 60 minute walk or 15 minute bus ride or whatever.

Maybe rec centers are only necessary for residents of Lakewood who can drive to a rec center instead of walk? Especially, now that we know the possibility of replacing some or all rec centers with a single new megacenter at Addenbrooke Park is an item for review in the Imagine Tomorrow Master Plan with extensive details in Appendix G of that plan. Although various denizens of city hall have issued denials that Lakewood has any plans to comply with their own master plan regarding the rec center details they adopted and that the mayor signed.

So that’s why it is OK to consider closing rec centers and having one mega center since ‘equity’ doesn’t apply to rec centers. It doesn’t matter if low-income residents can’t walk to the mega rec center because all of the better off residents can drive there in ‘just’ 10 minutes according to Appendix G that actually itemized driving times. Plus the city has mentioned in their master plan that the mega rec center could be so impressive, it would be a regional rec center and might draw patrons from outside Lakewood. But don’t forget, the city has no plans even though city council has taken no steps to modify or repeal any of it.

Now Lakewood has another life stress to put on low-income residents. The new location of the Action Center means some of their most vulnerable clients will be left to access the more distant Action Center site at the Emory location.

The Action Center is a well-respected, top quality local charity with a perfect 4-Star rating at Charity Navigator. The point of this post is not to question that. Simply to ask whether their new location might make it more difficult for some existing clients in neighborhoods of highest social vulnerability to access The Action Center as easily as they do today at the 14th Avenue location.

They may have to possibly ride public transportation to the new location. For some persons dealing with various challenging life issues, riding RTD can be a big ask due to the complexity and security risks of riding RTD.

There is no direct bus service from the old neighborhood to the new location. It requires multiple bus rides, over 20 stops and 3 connecting walks to get there according to google maps. Anywhere from 44 minutes to 75 minutes each way not counting waiting at bus stops.

So the deal makers in Lakewood could be underestimating what they are going to impose on some of Lakewood’s most vulnerable citizens.

Their minions have even insulted those who may wonder about the wisdom of this move and have suggested anyone not onboard with the move ‘lacks empathy’ and is not a ‘decent person’. Folks, that is not the attitude of people who are objective about the impact of their actions on the most vulnerable in Lakewood.

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/11/05/lakewood-city-council-emory-elementary-deal/

Lakewood tries to convince the public including low-income residents that they have their backs. But now we wonder from the Social Vulnerability Index if Lakewood has their backs when it comes to serving the most vulnerable in the city.

The included images show how The Action Center move will trade an apparently excellent location for client access with a new location that may be quite inconvenient for some.

In the included images, the dark blue color is significantly more socially vulnerable according to the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The solid blue image indicates the current Action Center W 14th Ave location which is surrounded by high social vulnerability neighborhoods. They clearly need The Action Center.

The multi-colored image shows the new Emory location which serves neighborhoods primarily of much lower social vulnerability. In terms of the CDC index, they have measurably less need for The Action Center. The lighter shade colors are areas of reduced social vulnerability.

Will the parties reconsider whether the new location is truly in the best interests of those currently served at the 14th Ave location?

For example, if you owned a popular restaurant that was thriving, would you be so eager to move to a new location knowing the demographics were not as favorable in the proposed new location? Even if you were lured by a ‘deal’ on the building at a new location? You know what they say when it comes to real estate – location, location, location.

Here is a look at some recent increases of life stresses on low-income residents and some others:

1) Closure of most area Safe Parking facilities for those living in vehicles.

2) Proposed replacement of city rec centers with just one rec center in a non-walkable distant location as adopted by a vote of city council.

3) Closing The Action Center’s mission critical location and moving to a location further from the most vulnerable neighborhoods and arguably with less need for such services. We wish the best for everyone!