Maplewood commercial project pivotal for Eaton’s future plans

EATON – The town of Eaton has big plans for itself, and the Maplewood Estates commercial development project is one of the keys to bringing those plans to fruition by broadening the tax base.
“We have gone a little slower with this project than some might have liked,´ said Maplewood developer Scott Renfroe, who with his father Jack Renfroe owns Foundation Builders. “But I grew up in Eaton, and we wanted to do this right.”
Don Cadwallader, assistant town manager of Eaton, agreed that while the town leaders were eager to see the commercial segment of the Maplewood property get started, the slower pace had allowed some important additions to the plan.
“By not rushing, we have everything in place,” he said. “We have worked with the Renfroes to get CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) approval for a right-in and right-out on Orchard Avenue off of Highway 85, which will improve access considerably.”
Although the Renfroes are well-established players in the residential development market, the Maplewood commercial project is a first for them.
“We bought the property in the late ’90s and have already developed 200 family residential lots,´ said Renfroe. “We needed to have the rooftops before we could move ahead and put in the commercial.”
The commercial segment of Maplewood Estates appears to be exactly compatible with Eaton’s ambitions for itself and correctly balanced to support the residential demands of the town as a whole.
“Some of what has been zoned commercial is planned,´ said Renfroe. “But we want to see what happens with the retail and office before we proceed with the remaining 16 acres.”
The elements of the plan so far include an eight-acre pad for an anchor grocery store, a location for New West Bank – which is soon to break ground – and a gas station.
The retail strip, a 17,366-square-foot project called The Markets at Maplewood, was designed with bays for 12 shops, but can be configured for tenants who need more than 10,000 square feet.
As a complement to the service and retail segments of the commercial zone, Jeff Perryman, principal in P2 Eaton Properties, LLC, is developing condominium office sites.
“We did our homework and decided to purchase four parcels for over $1 million to develop as commercial condominiums,´ said Perryman. “There is no saturation on commercial property in Eaton. I haven’t done any marketing and have already sold 15,000 square feet.”
Perryman explained that the commercial, turnkey condominium concept has worked well for him in Greeley, and he expects similar success in Eaton where there is a strong demand for professional office space.
“The building, parking and landscaping are already in place,” he said. “The buyer can choose a floor plan that suits specific needs. We are working on a floor plan for a doctor’s office right now.”
Having office space suitable for a medical practice is welcome news for Eaton.
“It has been some time since Eaton has had its own doctor,´ said Cadwallader.
For all of the positive responses Maplewood’s commercial plans have generated, Renfroe acknowledged that for him, his father and their partner Bob Brunner, the development of commercial property came with a considerable learning curve.
“We had a good program for residential,” he said. “For commercial we had to develop a new set of contacts. They all have their own people and their own formulas.”
Mark Belford, architect for the Markets at Maplewood portion of the development, pointed out that one big difference in building commercial and building residential are the codes.
“The building code implications are very different,” he said. “The bigger the building, the more codes related to life safety. The Renfroes are doing a stone and stucco building using synthetic slate made from recycled material. It’s nice for the community, and it’s ‘green.'”
And as everyone involved with this project-from members of the town’s government to those with an interest in the project-points out, Maplewood comes bundled with an unusual level of civic pride.
“We are delighted to be involved with this project,´ said Brad Keirnes, principal and managing broker for Investors Properties LLC, the company charged with leasing and managing the shopping center. “I’m a fourth generation native of Eaton, and Scott Renfroe is my neighbor. He wants to drive by a property he is proud of. Tim Croissant, who will be the president of the New West Bank in this development, graduated from high school a year behind me.”
Although Keirnes was not prepared to name the tenants in The Markets at Maplewood, he would say that his company was in the final stages of negotiation with three tenants and that at least 10 other retailers had expressed interest.
“Many of the users we are talking to are local,” he said. “They are interested in starting new businesses or in relocating. Other interest has come from Greeley businesses that would like a presence in Eaton.”
In Keirnes’ view, there is a lot of pent up demand for local shopping opportunities. The town needs an anchor grocery store and, as Cadwallader pointed out, there is a lot of support for commercial development from Pierce, Briggsdale and Ault. People from those communities would generally prefer to shop in Eaton than make the trip an additional seven miles to Greeley.
The town of Eaton has taken the initiative to blend new development with established retail.
“We didn’t want to isolate the old commercial on the north from the new commercial on the south, and so the town bought a deteriorating city block located between them on First Street,´ said Cadwallader. “The plan is to develop that block as a town commons, maybe put in a band stand. It can serve as a link between the old and the new.”
Renfroe cited the town’s willingness to use its own resources to add value to new commercial projects as characteristic of Eaton’s creative approach to managing future growth. Certainly, enlightened self interest appears to be at work.
“Eaton has plans to build the trails and parks that will sustain our sense of community,´ said Cadwallader. “For that we need more than rooftops; we need tax dollars. The success of the Maplewood commercial development is critical to our plans for the future. We see it as an important asset and are excited it is getting started.”