PUEBLO — Crews in Pueblo are cleaning up the area known as “The Jungle” this week. The focus is to remove trees and homeless encampments along the railroad tracks just east of I-25 near Benedict Park on the city’s south side.

A sight to behold Wednesday as crews made large piles of trees and stored dumpsters full of trash.

“They’ve taken 15 dumpsters so far,” Mayor Heather Graham said. “Pretty bad business, a lot of trash, a lot of leftover camps,” Graham said.

Mayor Heather Graham said it’s time for the area between I-25 and Benedict Park to be cleaned up.

“It’s very rough terrain that I’m going through and there are ditches that have been completely compacted with rubbish. I don’t know that the property has ever been cleaned,” Graham said.

The mayor said the area is private property.

“The city issued a lien for the abatement. We’re doing the property abatement process, so that’s how we can be down there cleaning it up,” Graham said. “So this is a melting pot, so it’s very dangerous for people to be there to begin with. I think the area causes a lot of crime for the Eiler neighborhood and just the Bessemer neighborhood in general, so I think it was time to get in there and eliminate some of that problem and it’s very unsightly,” Graham said.

Eleanor Sheahan

The Colorado Department of Health found high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil several years ago, so crews are working with the EPA and taking precautions by wearing gloves and masks.

“I think people want to see the community clean and beautiful, and I think that’s what the city, at least my administration, is trying to do going forward,” Graham said.

Clear out is part of the mayor’s larger initiative to clean up the city.

“I really despise seeing Pueblo like this. It wasn’t like that when I grew up here. It’s a pretty sad sight to see,” said Amy Martinez.

Amy Martinez came to Benedict Park to check on a loved one she said was sleeping in the area.

“I was curious when I saw the removal going on because I have a very close family member staying here and I was worried about what was going on with the cleanup and where the homeless people staying here would end up. go and what resources they have up there for them once they take where they sit,” Martinez said.

Martinez adds that cleaning is a good idea.

“For me, personally, I don’t agree with letting our city look like this. I don’t agree with allowing people to trash our city,” Martinez said.

While Pastor Paul describes this situation as heartbreaking.

“I think it’s very hard for the less fortunate people here, the homeless people who are down here in the jungle,” Pastor Paul said.

He said about 50 homeless people remain in the jungle. But Mayor Graham said police only had to remove a few people from the area.

“I went yesterday too. There were no homeless people down there. They had all vacated by the time the cleanup started,” Graham said.

She said displaced people should go to the Pueblo Rescue Mission if they need help. As Martinez encourages her loved one to come home.

“I hope this is a reality check. You don’t have to live like this,” Martinez said.

This is the last major cleaning for this year. Graham plans to clean up more areas of the city in 2025.
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