Jobs with Justice

Dr. Sigumbe Muyeba and Dr. Rebecca Galemba of Korbel are leading a Jobs With Justice evaluation project of the I-70 corridor construction job targets for women and minorities set by Denver City Council. The Central 70 redevelopment project covers the area between the I-25 and Chambers Road, and will add new express lanes on either side of the highway and replace aging infrastructure aimed to reduce congestion, improve safety and accommodate the growing demands from the rapid growth of the Denver Metro area. The project will also lower part of the interstate and build a 4-acre park over a portion of the lowered part. It is an area recognized as an economic mainstay of Denver and Colorado in General.

Denver City Council has stipulated a targeted hire agreement for the I-70 project. It specifies that 20% of the labor should be filled by workers from the targeted development area, largely corresponding to minority communities. The project provides an opportunity to examine the effectiveness of the targeted hire strategy in bringing women and minorities into the workforce. Given opposition to the construction within the target areas, the study will shed light on the limits of targeted hiring and the stakes involved in the project as gentrification and development in Colorado continue to displace communities of color.