The Havana business district in west Aurora is in the middle of a resurgence that has produced exponential increases in sales taxes and served to challenge an unfavorable image of the city with waves of high-end redevelopment and community outreach.

“The Havana business district in general has become one of the city’s major retail hubs in the last three years,” said Tim Gonerka, Aurora retail specialist. “That’s (due in part) to the redevelopment of the old Buckingham Square area, which is now the Gardens on Havana.”

The 500,000-square-foot Gardens on Havana shopping center opened in spring 2013on the aged remnants of the Buckingham Square mall, which served the area of East Mississippi Avenue and Havana Street since the early 1970s.

“We wanted to catch up to Cherry Creek North and other metro retail centers,” said Gayle Jetchick, executive director of the Havana Business Improvement District. “We needed to get organized to take back some of the profit that we had when Buckingham Square was booming. The neighbors were definitely on board.”

The 4.3-mile business improvement district that cuts north-south down Havana Street from Sixth Avenue to East Dartmouth Avenue was formed in 2007 after property owners in the area overwhelmingly voted to approve 4.5 mills in commercial property tax to fund the improvement district. Since funding began, construction and community involvement in the area, which has been collectively rebranded as On Havana Street, has not stopped.

The Gardens on Havana is nearly 100 percent leased. Its status as a mixed-use development is increasing with the construction of an up-scale, 217-unit apartment and 10-unit townhome complex called Viridian, which is slated to open in July at 10901 E. Garden Drive.

In 2014, the big project will be finding a developer for the 10.3-acre former Fanfare building site at East Third Avenue. Gonerka said the city will put a request for proposal out this year.

The retail vacancy rate for the entire Havana corridor is 2.8 percent as of fall 2013 — down from 8.6 percent in 2010. Sales tax revenue from the Havana corridor was up 14.3 percent in 2012 over 2011 and accounted for 12 percent of Aurora’s total sales tax revenues.

From 2008-12, the Havana corridor has contributed $67,088,949 in sales tax revenue to the city. It collected $12,178,876 in 2008 and $15,636,441 in 2012. Between 2010-13, 90 new businesses resulted in 429 jobs in the Havana corridor.

“The growth rate is amazing,” Jetchick said. “The marketing goals are to promote the district in general in a very positive light and let customers know that Havana Street is the place for them to come for their everyday purchases, as well as for unique events, shopping and dining.”

Jetchick is largely credited with the development of year-round events and activities in the district that drive consumers to its nearly 500 businesses. The Havana district hosts monthly free events and launched the Art 2 C on Havana program three years ago to create a sense of community, she said. Art 2 C is currently accepting submissions from sculptors for the 2014-15 exhibition. The deadline is July 13.

In April, the improvement district and city of Aurora won a Gold Award from the Denver Regional Council of Governments for planning for economic development.

“The phenomenal success of the Havana business improvement district has absolutely exceeded our expectations,” Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said. “It is thrilling to be recognized for the decade of work that has transformed a declining commercial corridor into a thriving urban center.”

On June 14, the district will host the seventh annual Cruzin’ Havana Car Show and Poker Run at five sites along the corridor. The event attracts more than 20,000 car enthusiasts and injects thousands of dollars into the district every year.

Also this month, a farmers market will open June 16 at 2802 S. Havana St. and run every Monday. On June 24, the district will host a free concert in the Gardens on Havana at the east end of Garden Drive.

“All of the attractions and development is creating a sense of place that the community really wants to have,” Gonerka said.

Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650 or mmitchell@denverpost.com