Tajahi Cooke is standing in a construction zone. Ladders are scattered everywhere. Exposed wires hang from the ceiling. A piece of wood that must be slid back and forth currently serves as the front door. It’s a cold January day, and he’s checking on the progress at Freedom Street Social, a 12,000-square-foot food hall slated to open this month in northwest Arvada. Viewed through Cooke’s gold-rimmed glasses, the work still to be done fades away, and he can see groups of friends lounging on midcentury velvet couches; families gathering around contemporary wood tables; and, if all goes as planned, hungry diners lining up at the eatery he will operate within Freedom Street.
A food hall will be a boon to the rapidly growing suburb. Nearby, houses are lined up side by side like colorful Legos in planned communities with names
