‘Green’ flex space planned for Colorado Technology Center

LOUISVILLE – Construction of a new class A office/flex building will get under way this fall in the Colorado Technology Center in Louisville to help meet the growing demand for flex space along the U.S. 36 Corridor.

The first of two buildings, totaling nearly 120,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flex space, will break ground by year-end as one of the first ‘green’ flex facilities in the area. The developer is currently working through a pre-certification process to have the core and shell of the buildings LEED certified upon completion.

“We’ve seen a great deal of increased interest and activity along the 36 Corridor,´ said Andrew Freeman, president of Freeman Myre, a Niwot-based commercial real estate firm and listing agent for the development. “We are confident these new flex buildings will provide an exceptional service offering for the market with their sustainable-design approach – truly offering companies the space, flexibility and cutting-edge design they are looking for. With the close proximity to Boulder and the fact that many of companies in Boulder County are ahead of the curve in terms of their affinity for green building, we anticipate great interest in this development.”

ConocoPhillips was the latest addition to join other major corporations that now occupy large blocks of space along the 36 Corridor. Corporate users in this market now include Gilead Sciences, Crocs, Hunter Douglas, Ball Aerospace, Sun Microsystems, Level 3 Communications, Lockheed Martin Corp., Corporate Express, Vail Resorts, Motorola and McKesson Corp.

One Technology Center at 734 CTC Blvd. will offer companies spaces ranging from 15,000 to 84,430 square feet and will include a partial second-floor mezzanine office area, views to the west, dock high doors and access off Dillon Road to U.S. 36 or the Northwest Parkway with close proximity to the Interlocken Advanced Technology Park and Flatiron Crossing mall and easy access to Denver, Boulder and Denver International Airport. Other companies currently located in the Colorado Technology Center include Lockheed Martin, Nautilus Fitness, DHL and Sanmina-Sci.

“These buildings will provide an ideal setting for companies who need flex space to meet their business requirements,” Freeman said. “We see this as a perfect opportunity for companies related to the renewable energy, software or biotech industries, or those looking to relocate or expand their research facilities, manufacturing operations or need additional warehouse or distribution space. We also believe this development will provide an alternative for those companies who are seeking an environmentally-friendly facility  –  one that has been designed as a healthy work environment and offers energy savings.”

Today’s high energy costs combined with a growing demand for greener buildings are driving the need for LEED-certified buildings that are more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts. As compared to conventional facilities, the Colorado Technology Center buildings will offer a shell that has been designed green.

The sustainable features will include the use of white roofing material for low reflectance, skylights for natural lighting, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC equipment, increased insulation, low-E glazing on the windows, native vegetation to reduce water consumption and a tenant improvement guide for LEED certification and continued monitoring of energy, water, and gas use in the buildings.

The buildings are being developed by PASSCO Companies LLC, based in Irvine, Calif., and are currently available for lease through Freeman Myre. The architect is Boulder-based RVP Architecture, and the general contractor is DSP Builders.

Neighboring the new development in the Colorado Technology Center is land for a 100,000- to 250,000-square-foot build-to-suit opportunity for lease or sale. As activity along the 36 Corridor continues to increase, developers such as Hill Properties are meeting another niche in the market that is currently underserved  –  spaces for large corporate users.

“With the significant influx of energy-related companies looking to expand into this market,” Freeman said. “There is growing demand for space larger than 100,000 square feet. Hill Properties’ large build-to-suit space combined with PASSCO’s development of the two new flex properties, will certainly help fill the gap and continue to make this area a hub of activity.”

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