With height exception approved, Draper Heartland project moves forward

LOVELAND — The Loveland Planning Commission approved Tuesday night a height exception for the Draper Heartland project, clearing the way for the redevelopment of most of a block of Fourth Street in downtown.

The project is centered around the historic former Heartland Cafe building at 333 Fourth St. and aims to add more residential and commercial space to a downtown area that has seen much revitalization and redevelopment in recent years. 

The height exception will allow the building to reach 62 feet, 2 inches — about 7 feet more than the city’s 55-foot height limit. In a neighborhood meeting on Oct. 28, developers had said the project would not be commercially viable without the exception.

“It’s a corner we’ve really wanted to see developed,” said Sean Hawkins, executive director of the Loveland Downtown Development Authority. “It might be the best corner of downtown in terms of visibility.”

The building was constructed in the late 19th century and over the years hosted several businesses that became downtown Loveland staples, such as the Draper Drug Store and the Heartland Cafe. It has been vacant since the cafe closed in 2015.

The new space will include 96 residential units above ground-floor retail, a cafe and a fitness center. There will also be a parking garage. The residential units will consist of 32 studios, 42 one-bedrooms, 17 two-bedrooms, and five three-bedrooms.

Hawkins said that property owners had taken “a few swings” at redeveloping the space in the past, but nothing worked. 

“Then they thought bigger and brought the two neighboring historic buildings into it, which we definitely wanted to see restored and reactivated,” Hawkins said.

The project is expected to cost about $32.1 million. Developer BH Developers is applying for construction permits. If approved, construction activity is scheduled to begin in January, with the building being completed in May 2023.

“More residential is a great addition to downtown,” Hawkins said. “I really feel like downtown is becoming a neighborhood district. I like that feel and I think the community likes that feel. I think it’s a good fit.”

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