Downtown rooftop greenhouses nearly completed

Construction of the first greenhouse is underway at Groundwork Greens, a community-driven rooftop greenhouse at 2020 Lawrence St.

A project from Groundwork Denver, the 2,600-square-foot greenhouse will produce more than 15,000 pounds of fresh vegetables a year. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of March when growing systems will be installed and vegetables grown. Green Team youth employees will work at the greenhouse, learning about hydroponic growing, marketing, sales and distribution.

Less than 1 percent of food consumed in Denver is produced in Colorado, and one out of eight Denver families is "food insecure," meaning they don't have access to enough food. Groundwork Greens hopes to demonstrate a solution that captures the economic activity of local food consumption and provides healthy food for residents.

Groundwork Denver is non-profit organization that works with lower-income communities to address environmental problems, implement environmental improvement projects, build environmental leaders and support volunteerism and civic engagement. 

Developed by Zocalo Community Development, 2020 Lawrence is a 10-story, 231-unit apartment building, offering a rooftop health center overlooking the mountains; Barks & Rec, a rooftop pet exercise area with artificial grass; work space with conference center; demonstration kitchen; and rooftop lounge with a hot tub, outdoor kitchen and fire pit.