Simms Technology Park moving forward with Broomfield’s blessing

BROOMFIELD — A Maryland-based developer got the go-ahead this week from Broomfield city officials to move forward with its plan to build the large new Simms Technology Park office, research and retail campus. 

The Broomfield City Council on Tuesday approved the project site plan on a 9-1 vote.

St. John Properties Inc. will build the 14-building office park on a roughly 80-acre parcel near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

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All told, the Simms Technology Park campus — located west of Simms Street and south of 112th Avenue — would include nearly 600,000 square feet of new space. St. John is proposing five single-story office buildings totalling 145,520 square feet, two four-story Class A office buildings totalling 202,400 square feet, six flex/research and development buildings at 221,040 square feet and one retail building at 8,125 square feet. The site plan also includes 7.7 acres for future development of restaurants and a convenience store and gas station.

“We can’t say enough about the planning staff and the process we’ve gone through over the last 18 months,” St. John regional partner for Colorado Brandon Jenkins said during Tuesday’s public hearing on the project.

During that hearing, residents of nearby neighborhoods voiced concerns about the scope of development, potential changes to the character of the area, additional traffic and light pollution, loss of green space, and increased drainage issues.

Broomfield councilmember James Marsh-Holschen, the only board member to vote against the project, noted that Simms Technology Park will feature large swaths of paved parking areas that will be empty and unused when offices are closed. 

“It’s well past time for us to start having the Broomfield we need for the future, and that means moving away from these large parking lots,” he said.

Other members of the City Council said the economic benefits of the project likely will outweigh the downsides. 

“It’s not perfect, but it’s really vital that we get this long-planned development in this area for economic growth that we need,” Councilmember William Lindstedt said. “It’s a good technology park that’s going to bring a lot of jobs and a lot of economic development to the area.”