Developments bring renewal to region: Office, industrial, retail, apartment projects flourish

Development projects have abounded in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado in the past year, and it doesn’t seem that 2019 will be any different.

This edition of BizWest includes our latest Breaking Ground section, highlighting major development projects in the region. The number of projects featured totals more than 75 — a record number — with many other projects coming out of the ground or on the drawing board.

Barring a major economic setback, commercial projects appear to be on a steady course, as developers seek to provide needed office, industrial, retail, apartment or mixed-use space.

Major redevelopment projects continue on Boulder’s 30th Street corridor, with Google’s Phase II proceeding rapidly, along with The Réve project across the street. Developments at Boulder Junction and S’park nearby will add office, retail and housing.

Still in the offing are redevelopments of the former Boulder Community Hospital property and The Armory, both on Broadway in north Boulder. And redevelopment is occurring in Flatiron Park and along Canyon Boulevard. (What is planned for the Liquor Mart property at 15th Street and Canyon remains to be seen.)

Several communities continue to enjoy revitalization in their downtown cores, with Brinkman spearheading redevelopment of the former Butterball turkey plant in Longmont — the South Main project — and Greeley’s Eighth Avenue, which is seeing South Maddie, one of the Richardson family’s projects, emerge. Work also is progressing on The Foundry, a two-block redevelopment in downtown Loveland.

Fort Collins will enjoy its first Lucky’s market, on South College Avenue downtown, along with new projects on East Harmony Road and at College and Drake Road.

Health care continues to drive new construction, with the UCHealth Greeley Hospital progressing, and with Boulder Community Health nearing completion of a new building on its Foothills campus and planning a new rehabilitation hospital in Lafayette.

Broomfield and Louisville are seeing a wave of development, including new facilities for The Allen Co., JPMorgan Chase, Partners Group, Vaisala Corp. and Viega LLC. Louisville is seeing its office/industrial gem, the Colorado Tech Center, approach buildout, and many new projects within and adjacent to downtown.

Throughout the region, banks are building branches, medical providers are constructing facilities, office and industrial buildings are sprouting, and apartment projects are springing up virtually on every corner. Retail developments are emerging in every community.

Industrial developments such as the J.M. Smucker plant in Longmont/Weld County and the BNSF Logistics Center in Hudson represent significant investments.

Major corridors, such as Interstate 25, U.S. Highway 36, Colorado Highway 119 and U.S. Highway 34, are seeing many, many projects of all types. Some developments, such as The Brands at the Ranch in Loveland and Windsor, will take many years to come to fruition, while others will wrap up in the next year.

What projects will be announced in 2019? Much will depend on the economy overall, but even the current pipeline should keep the region’s architects, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors and city planners busy for some time to come.

Christopher Wood can be reached at 303-630-1942, 970-232-3133 or via email at cwood@bizwest.com.

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