Growth in all directions

MEAD — For a couple of decades, Mead’s claim to fame was a church on the outskirts of town that was used briefly in the filming of the Bruce Willis film “Die Hard 2.”

This agricultural community northeast of Longmont offered a quieter world in which townspeople all knew each other and probably didn’t even lock their doors at night.

Today, Mead still serves as a quiet respite from bigger nearby cities, but residential subdivisions and industrial sites straddling Interstate 25 are steadily replacing farmland.

“Growth is going in all directions, but I’d say most of the growth is to the south and east. We’re butting up against Firestone and Longmont,” Mead community development director Jason Bradford said.

Mead now has just shy of 7,000 residents, according to city officials, having grown from 3,486 in 2010 and 4,781 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town is not just adding residents, but new businesses as well.

Leanin’ Tree greeting card company announced in February that it would leave Boulder after 75 years to make Mead its new headquarters’ home. The company signed a 10-year lease of 109,676 square feet at the Elevation25 Business Park. 

Renee’s Garden Seeds, a vegetable, flower and herb seeds company, signed a seven-year, 27,777-square-foot lease at 4480 Elevation Drive.

Up to seven more industrial buildings totaling 850,000 square feet are planned at the 55-acre Elevation25 business park project.

In 2023, Broe Real Estate Group kicked off work on the Access 25 Logistics Park at I-25/Weld County Road 34 interchange. The 300-acre, $500 million project is ultimately expected to have 3 million square feet of industrial space. Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) has leased 386,000 square feet in Access 25 Logistics Park for a distribution center. FedX Corp (NYSE: FDX) also has a distribution center in the park, just south of the Home Depot distribution center.

“We’re trying to diversify the industries that are in Mead,” the town’s community engagement director, Lorelei Nelson, said. “Historically it’s been very ag-oriented. A lot of businesses were ag oriented. …The town’s intent is to really diversify and try to get a mix of different industries here.”

QuikTrip Corp. recently opened a travel center south of Colorado Highway 66 and west of I-25 that is soon to become neighbors with O’Reilly Automotive Inc (Nasdaq: ORLY).

Construction crews roam the Mead core, as well, refurbishing office buildings and the like.

New investors recently came in to finish the Mead Town Center at 234 Main St, which had been stalled for five to six years, Bradford said. “It’s going to be a mixed-use building of retail, commercial, and office and they will also have six dwelling units there as well.”

Directly across the street at 333 and 339 Main St., a historic building is being remodeled to be used for commercial office and commercial retail, also with a couple of residential apartments.

Finally, the Mead Community Center at 401 Third St., is coming together. The 11,000-square-foot building has a large multi-purpose gym, community and multipurpose space, Nelson said. “Currently we don’t have municipal space for the public, and this will be our first one. The location is great and will be walkable from downtown and to the park.”

Last year, Mead approved a massive residential development northeast of town owned by Bill Gates-backed Front Range Investment Holdings LLC. The company approached both Mead and Berthoud with plans to develop a 2,200-acre parcel on the east side of I-25 into commercial, mixed use and housing. About 595 acres of that are in Mead, with the larger piece in Berthoud. The Mead portion runs from Weld County Road 40 south to Weld County Road 38, along the interstate. That project still may be a couple years out.

“I think like all communities, we’d love to see other commercial-service uses to serve our residents,” Bradford said. “Historically, the community has been focused on residential development and now everyone would like to see commercial and retail uses that will serve those residents.”