There aren't many people currently living in Denver who have Denver buildings named after them. There's the Wellington Webb building, and there soon will be "La Villa de Barela," named after Metro alumnus Veronica Barela.

Barela ('77, psychology and public administration) has for nearly thirty years been the head of NEWSED (New West Side Economic Development Corporation), a nonprofit agency that works to revitalize the north section of Santa Fe Drive. She joined NEWSED a year after earning her degree at Metro. The organization promotes residential and business development in the north Santa Fe Drive corridor by helping business owners secure grants and loans; it also runs human service programs focusing on mental health and other community services. In addition, NEWSED hosts a variety of cultural events that showcase Denver's Latino community, including the Cinco de Mayo celebration and El Grito, Mexican Independence Day.

NEWSED is currently constructing a $7 million building at 10th and Santa Fe that will combine affordable housing apartments, retail and commercial space. The nonprofit's board of directors decided to name the complex after Barela to acknowledge her visionary work both initiating this project and on behalf of the area generally.

Barela, 59, grew up in the area and watched it gradually become more blighted. By the 1960s it was full of abandoned storefronts and decaying buildings, largely inhabited by Hispanic immigrants who settled there for the inexpensive housing. A group of residents formed NEWSED in 1973 to address the urban decay of the corridor.

"I grew up here and have worked on improving Santa Fe Drive my whole adult life," says Barela. "It truly is home, and to have something right on Santa Fe Drive named after me is a great honor."

Today, thanks in large parts to Barela's efforts, the area is a thriving cultural arts district, with art galleries, studios, restaurants and offices.