A Neighborhood with Layers of Lakewood History
Belmar Villas is part of a larger Lakewood story—one shaped by farms, family estates, postwar neighborhoods, shopping centers, and the modern redevelopment of the city’s downtown. Today, the area is known for its convenient location near West Alameda Avenue, South Wadsworth Boulevard, Belmar Park, and the shops and restaurants of the Belmar district. But beneath that contemporary setting is a history that reaches back well before Lakewood became a city in 1969.
For longtime residents, Belmar Villas feels special because it sits at the meeting point of several eras. Residential streets, apartment and condominium communities, historic parkland, and a lively mixed-use center all share the same landscape. A short walk or drive can take you from modern townhomes and storefronts to old farm buildings, mature cottonwoods, and the quiet shoreline of Kountze Lake.
Before Belmar: Farms, Water, and Open Country
Much of central Lakewood was once agricultural land. One important early landowner was John Edward Everitt, who claimed property in 1876. The Everitt farm extended across a broad area between Garrison Street and Kipling Street, south of West Alameda Avenue. The family raised vegetables, operated a dairy, and relied on the Agricultural Ditch for irrigation and water management. ([lakewood.org](https://www.lakewood.org/files/assets/public/planning/comprehensive-planning/pdfs/community-plans/archived/addenbrookebelmarparkneighborhoodplanarchived04272015.pdf?utm_source=openai))
That rural heritage remained visible well into the twentieth century. Roads that are now busy corridors, including Alameda Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, once passed through open fields and scattered homes. The area’s broad lots, irrigation channels, and tree-lined properties helped give central Lakewood a distinct character—less urban than Denver, but more connected and developed than the surrounding countryside.
The land that eventually became Belmar Park also had an important role in local history. In the 1930s, May Bonfils, a prominent Colorado figure and daughter of *The Denver Post* publisher Frederick G. Bonfils, built an impressive estate near present-day South Wadsworth Boulevard and West Alameda Avenue. She named the estate Belmar, a name that would later become associated with the park, shopping district, and surrounding residential communities. ([lakewoodco.gov](https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Arts-and-Culture/Heritage-Lakewood/Historic-Structures-and-Tours?utm_source=openai))
How Belmar Got Its Name
The name “Belmar” comes from May Bonfils’s estate. The mansion stood on an expansive property that included landscaped grounds and a lake later associated with Kountze Lake. Although the mansion itself was demolished in 1970, its name survived in the community.
The former estate eventually became part of the public landscape. Today, Belmar Park preserves open space, walking paths, wetlands, and Kountze Lake, while Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park interprets the region’s agricultural and suburban past. Historic structures at the park include farm buildings, a one-room school interpretation, a water tower, a pump house, and the White Way Grill. ([lakewoodco.gov](https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Arts-and-Culture/Heritage-Lakewood/Historic-Structures-and-Tours?utm_source=openai))
For residents of Belmar Villas, these landmarks are more than nearby attractions. They offer a tangible reminder that the neighborhood’s setting was once home to working farms, family estates, and small community institutions.
From Belmar Gardens to Residential Lakewood
Residential development accelerated after World War II as Lakewood grew along the west side of the Denver metropolitan area. The first subdivision identified in the broader Addenbrooke and Belmar Park area was Belmar Gardens, platted in 1948. It occupied an area roughly between Garrison and Carr streets and between West Mississippi Avenue and Belmar Avenue. ([lakewood.org](https://www.lakewood.org/files/assets/public/planning/comprehensive-planning/pdfs/community-plans/archived/addenbrookebelmarparkneighborhoodplanarchived04272015.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Other subdivisions followed during the 1950s and 1960s, including Sun Valley and Alameda Homes. Their homes reflected the era’s popular design: practical ranch houses, modest yards, attached garages, and streets planned for families who wanted more space while remaining close to Denver.
Belmar Villas belongs to this larger evolution from rural land to established residential neighborhood. While the name may suggest a single historic subdivision, Belmar Villas is best understood as part of the residential fabric surrounding the Belmar district and park. Its identity comes from its location, its relationship to nearby streets and institutions, and its connection to the wider Belmar name.
The Villa Italia Years
One of the most important milestones in the area’s modern history was the opening of Villa Italia Shopping Center in the 1960s. Built at the intersection of West Alameda Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, Villa Italia became a major commercial destination for Lakewood and the west Denver suburbs.
For several decades, Villa Italia served as a community gathering place. Families shopped there, met friends, visited restaurants, and attended events. Its name also reflected the Italian heritage of developer Genevieve “Villa” Bonfils, who was connected to the Bonfils family associated with the nearby Belmar estate.
By the 1990s, however, the enclosed mall was showing its age. Lakewood voters approved a 1997 referendum supporting the transformation of the property into a new downtown district. Construction on the Belmar redevelopment began in 2003, and the new mixed-use neighborhood opened in 2004. ([villashomes.org](https://www.villashomes.org/info.php?pnum=10&utm_source=openai))
Belmar’s Transformation
The modern Belmar district replaced the former 1.4-million-square-foot Villa Italia mall with a walkable, urban-style center. The redevelopment introduced a street grid, apartments, condominiums, offices, shops, restaurants, public plazas, and landscaped gathering spaces. It now covers approximately 22 city blocks and functions as Lakewood’s downtown. ([lakewoodco.gov](https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Services/Business/Reinvestment-Authority/LRA-Activities?utm_source=openai))
That transformation changed daily life around Belmar Villas. Instead of a conventional suburban shopping mall, residents gained access to a more walkable collection of destinations. The Belmar plaza hosts seasonal events, concerts, and winter activities, while South Allison Parkway connects the district to civic and cultural institutions.
Nearby landmarks include:
- Belmar Park, with Kountze Lake, trails, open lawns, and natural areas.
- Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park, a museum and historic site preserving Lakewood’s twentieth-century story.
- Lakewood Cultural Center, a performing-arts and visual-arts venue near the Belmar district.
- Belmar Library, an important community resource serving residents of central Lakewood.
- Lakewood Civic Center, which reflects the city’s growth as an incorporated municipality.
- The Belmar shopping district, with restaurants, retail stores, public art, and residential buildings.
A Neighborhood That Keeps Evolving
Over the decades, Belmar Villas and its surrounding area have changed from open farmland to postwar suburbia and then to one of Lakewood’s most recognizable urban centers. Yet the neighborhood has not lost its sense of place.
The enduring appeal comes from the contrasts. A resident can enjoy the convenience of Wadsworth Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, then turn toward a quieter residential street. A morning walk can begin among modern buildings and end beside Kountze Lake. A casual afternoon might include shopping at Belmar, a performance at the Lakewood Cultural Center, or a visit to historic buildings at Heritage Lakewood.
That mixture is what makes Belmar Villas distinctive. Its history is not preserved in one building or one street alone. It lives in the name Belmar, in the old parkland, in the streets laid out during Lakewood’s suburban expansion, and in the public spaces created through redevelopment.
For longtime residents, Belmar Villas represents a particularly welcoming version of Lakewood: established but still changing, connected to the city’s agricultural roots but comfortable in the present, and close to the landmarks that explain how this part of Jefferson County became home.