Learn more about NAIOP Colorado member and sponsor company's past and ongoing projects transforming the metro Denver skyline.
Made possible by our NAIOP Construction Corner Sponsor, The Weitz Company, LLC.

Submitted by Joshua Deale, Cushman & Wakefield
Posted on September 22, 2022

Cushman & Wakefield announced that First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. has purchased a 17-acredevelopment site in Commerce City (Denver), Colorado. First Industrial plans to construct a brand new 199,500-square-foot Class A state-of-the-art industrial warehouse/distribution facility to be known as First 76 Logistics Center. The project is strategically located at 8000 E 96th Ave immediately off Interstate 76 in Denver’s highly active I-76 submarket.

Cushman & Wakefield’s Drew McManus, SIOR, Ryan Searle and Bryan Fry were retained by First Industrial to perform leasing for the new development, working with John Strabel, First Industrial’s senior regional director and market leader for Denver. The Cushman & Wakefield team also represented the seller in the land sale.  

First 76 Logistics Center is aiming to break ground in early 2022, with an estimated completion in mid-2023. 

“First 76 Logistics Center will be an exceptional addition to Denver’s sought-after I-76 corridor submarket while fulfilling the modern needs of today’s industrial, logistics and distribution users,” said Ryan Searle. “This site presented a great and unique opportunity to develop an infill site with tremendous regional access.”

Drew McManus, SIOR, Executive Director added, “The property provides excellent transportation access for businesses looking for convenient and efficient distribution channels, as well as access to a large pool of highly skilled labor from Commerce City, Aurora, Denver, and the surrounding areas.”

First 76 Logistics Center offers heavy industrial zoning, ample trailer parking or outside storage, and easy access to I-76. The new facility will feature 150-feet truck court, 286 auto stalls and 45 trailer stalls, 32-feet clear height, 62 dock-high doors and 2 drive-in ramps, ESFR sprinklers, and LED lighting. 

Located just 0.3 miles from I-76 and with no traffic signals, First 76 Logistics Center will be built on one of the most accessible sites in Commerce City. The property is also close to I-25, E-470 and I-70 and proximate to the Denver International Airport and Downtown Denver. 

“First Industrial is pleased to add this well-located development site which positions us to meet additional tenant demand and grow our regional portfolio,” said John Strabel. “Denver’s I-76 corridor has been

To view the First 76 Project Progress video, visit https://vimeo.com/750458666. 

Lincoln Crossing

Submitted by Carson Wyatt, Lincoln Property Company
Posted on September 28, 2022

Built in the 1970s and ’80s, Lincoln Crossing is an iconic two-tower office property located at the crossroads of Denver’s Central Business District and the vibrant Uptown neighborhood. Developed by Lincoln Property Company, Lincoln Crossing has been transformed to align with today’s creative and innovative workforce to provide an environment that encourages a sense of community and empowers employees to collaborate. Renovations completed include street-level exterior facade refresh, a collaborative area with bleacher stairs, outdoor patio, lobby elevators, fitness center, multipurpose room, bike box, and new spec suites.

Lincoln Crossing will offer a diverse selection of dynamic office spaces ranging from 1,200 SF to over 100,000 SF. The space includes full-height windows that will maximize downtown views and offer an abundance of natural light creating a setting that enables high-performance work. 

Located right next door to Denver’s established Central Business District and Uptown, one of Denver’s most walkable neighborhoods. Just one block from Restaurant Row, the stretch of 17th Avenue from Broadway to City Park that boasts some of the best eating and drinking

establishments in the city – almost all of which feature an outdoor patio.

For more details about Lincoln Crossing, please visit: https://lincolncrossingtowers.com/.

GRANITE PROPERTIES NAMED NAIOP 2022 DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR

Prepared by NAIOP Corporate 
Posted on August 1, 2022

Dallas-based developer, Granite Properties, was selected as the NAIOP 2022 Developer of the Year - the association's highest honor. The award will be presented during NAIOP’s CRE.Converge conference in Chicago this October.

“On behalf of everyone at Granite, I want to thank NAIOP for this great honor of naming us the 2022 Developer of the Year,” said Michael Dardick, Founding Partner & CEO, Granite Properties. “Granite supports companies and their employees with high quality, sustainable and wellness-focused office and mixed-use environments in desired locations. Putting people first is instilled in everything we do. It’s why we’re always focused on enhancing the customer experience and making a positive impact on our communities. I’m proud of our team’s innovative spirit and ability to adapt to the many changes our industry has experienced over the 30 years we’ve been in business. This recognition is a reflection of their talent, and I thank them for their hard work positioning Granite for long-term success.”

Granite Properties is a privately held commercial real estate investment, development and management company that owns 11 million square feet of high-quality office space valued at $3 billion in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Southern California, Boston and Nashville. The company has completed more than $8 billion in real estate transactions and more than 29 million square feet of real estate development and acquisitions. It focuses on creating extraordinary customer experiences through mixed-use environments, rich amenities, customer-centric service, and innovative wellness features.

The company's size, operational experience, partnerships and breadth of resources allow it to make appropriate adjustments to short-term and long-term objectives with flexibility and speed-to-execution in response to economic changes and opportunities. The company cites adaptability and flexibility as core characteristics that are leveraged throughout the lifespan and growth of the 30-year-old company.

Granite’s advancement of technology and building wellness includes a partnership with Fifth Wall that keeps the company on the forefront of technology, benefiting customers and their businesses; evolve®, an innovative Granite trademarked program of flexible office leasing solutions; and development guidelines that meet and exceed certification requirements for both Fitwel and U.S. Green Building Council LEED.

Across the U.S., Granite is known for its social, philanthropic and employee-focused efforts. Since 2009, the company’s charitable impact surpassed $3 million. It has been named one of Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces nine consecutive times, and is committed to fostering diverse and inclusive teams across the company.

“On behalf of NAIOP, I am thrilled to recognize the fantastic achievements of Granite Properties and honor them as our 2022 Developer of the Year. The company’s strong commitment to developing and operating exemplary properties across the U.S. is inspiring,” said Thomas J. Bisacquino, NAIOP president and CEO. “Throughout the company’s history, it has successfully navigated challenges and downturns, always emerging stronger. Granite’s company culture and mission of inspiring both its employees and tenants to flourish has made it a leader in the commercial real estate industry.”

Granite employees are active NAIOP members across several association chapters, including NAIOP Colorado, NAIOP Georgia, NAIOP Houston, NAIOP North Texas and NAIOP SoCal.

Since 1979, the NAIOP Developer of the Year award has been presented to a development company that best exemplifies leadership and innovation. Granite Properties was selected from an impressive slate of nominees and was evaluated by a team of seasoned developers on the following criteria: outstanding quality of projects and services; active support of the industry through NAIOP; financial consistency and stability; ability to adapt to market conditions; and support of the local community.

ST. JOHN PROPERTIES PLANS 600K SF SIMMS TECHNOLOGY PARK IN BROOMFIELD

Submitted by St. John Properties
Posted on August 1, 2022

The Broomfield City Council recently granted approval to St. John Properties, Inc. to initiate development activities on Simms Technology Park, a nearly 81-acre mixed-use business community in Broomfield that, upon completion, is expected to support nearly 600,000 square feet of single-story, multi-story and flex/R&D space, in addition to complementary retail amenities. The full-service commercial real estate development and management firm owns and has developed more than one million square feet of space in Colorado since 1987 and intends to invest $95 million in this project situated approximately 20 miles northwest of the Denver metropolitan area. Grading and infrastructure activities are expected to commence this summer, followed by the initiation of Phase I development activities.

Acquired from Brocade Communications Systems, LLC two years ago, Phase I of the business community located at the intersection of N. Simms Street and W. 112th Avenue in Broomfield County will be comprised of three single-story office buildings comprising approximately 100,000 square feet of space and two flex/R&D buildings containing nearly 70,000 square feet of space. St. John Properties is also marketing the sale or ground lease of four pad sites ranging from 1.3 acres to 2.4 acres that can support numerous uses including restaurants, convenient stores/gas stations, and fast food. The final development plan is expected to consist of 14 buildings with all designed for LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. St. John Properties plans to initially break ground on the single-story office and flex/R&D buildings with delivery of the first product expected to occur in summer of 2023 before proceeding to subsequent phases.

“This strategically-located acreage provides the opportunity to execute our long-term development strategy in a submarket of Colorado that contains every essential metric for sustained growth and economic vitality,” explained Brandon Jenkins, St. John Properties’ Regional Partner for Colorado. “We appreciate the support of the Broomfield City Council to greenlight a business community that will be a long-term job generator, a home to businesses both small and large and a significant contributor to the local tax base. Simms Technology Park will contribute significantly to the economic health of the region with construction jobs, the creation of jobs within the business community and both business and consumer spending with existing businesses in the region.”

As part of the development agreement, St. John Properties has pledged to complete significant upgrades to W. 112th Avenue including the addition of sidewalks, lighting, supplemental landscaping, both left hand and right-hand turning lanes and the expansion of the road by one additional lane. Two new public roads will be constructed as part of Phase 1 of the development. The new roads (Doppler Drive and Brocade Parkway) bisect the site. Brocade Parkway will be renamed to Quantum Parkway as part of the Phase 1 development plan.

“St. John Properties is differentiated from our peers by our philosophy of remaining ahead of the development curve and speculatively building commercial real estate product that anticipates the future needs of our clients,” Jenkins added. “This site provides immediate access to the Boulder and Denver markets along the U.S. 36 northwest “creative corridor” of the Denver metropolitan area. In addition, our on-going research shows the continuing trend among end-users of commercial office space in all product categories interested in migrating to Denver’s northwest suburbs for expansion and relocation.”

St. John Properties has developed and presently manages nearly one million square feet of commercial real estate assets in the Colorado region including Corporate Center, a fourteen-building 600,000 square foot business community in Golden; Sixth Avenue Place, a 145,000 square foot project in Golden; and Walnut Creek Business Park, which contains more than 200,000 square feet of space in the city of Westminster.

According to data from the Broomfield Economic Vitality Division, Broomfield County is the third-fastest growing county in Colorado with a population that has nearly doubled over the past 20 years. Approximately two-thirds of new residents have relocated from within the state. The median age of all residents is 36.7 with a median household income approaching $109,000. Major employers include CenturyLink, Oracle America, SCL Health Care, Ball Corporation and Vail Resorts. A number of companies engaged in high technology and research and development have relocated to the region in recent years.

Nearly six million people reside in Colorado, including nearly two million households, with a median age of 36.4 and population expanded at twice the national rate between 2010 and 2020 with a nearly 15% growth. Additionally, the populations of Broomfield and Weld Counties grew by 30%. According to figures released in March, the statewide unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent from 4 percent the previous month.

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 51-year history, the company has developed more than 22 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, warehouse space and has investments in over 2,600 apartments. The company proudly serves more than 2,500 clients in Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.

The Current, River North, Class-A Office Building

It’s a tall order to promise building tenants a well-designed project that promotes tenant health, wellbeing, and productivity. Especially one that is innovative to be a culture-ready workspace with significant input from local entrepreneurs, CEOs, HR leaders, and talent and one forward-thinking enough to offer a leading-edge view on the world via state-of-the-art “smart” windows. 

Such a vibrant environment is emerging in the form of the Class-A 238,000-square-foot The Current, River North (The Current), a joint venture partnership between Schnitzer West, LLC, one of the West Coast’s leading real estate investment, development and property management companies, and Craft Companies, LLC, a Denver-based, multi-directional real estate firm. The 12-story Class-A office building is located at 3615 Delgany St., in Denver's vibrant and sought-after River North Art District (RiNo).

The Current’s “ecosystem of innovation” design ethos is a strong fit for Denver’s RiNo neighborhood. It offers multiple state-of-the-art amenities, including smart windows from View, Inc. View Smart Windows employ artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically evaluate and adjust window tint to optimize natural light and tenants’ unique vista of the outdoors, all while helping regulate temperature and glare. 

The benefits of natural light in workplace productivity are becoming more widely known. One study discovered that employees working next to View Smart Windows – while dramatically adding to the building’s light-filled and sleek aesthetic – “experienced half as many headaches, slept 37 minutes longer each night and improved their cognitive function by 42 percent.” 

This is the second private office development in the state of Colorado to utilize View Smart Windows. The first and only other project in the state to implement the View Smart windows was Schnitzer West’s mixed-use, elegant, tiered development, Civica Cherry Creek, situated in the desirable Cherry Creek neighborhood.

"At Schnitzer West, we recognize that intelligent design and world-class amenities are not only aesthetically important but also why tenants choose our buildings over those of our competitors. Tenant’s ability to attract and retain talent is a significant contributing factor to their success,” said Kyle Flippen, development manager for the Denver market at Schnitzer West. 

Schnitzer West and Craft Companies purchased the RiNo site in March 2019 and began construction of The Current in April 2021. Designed by Davis Partnership Architects, the site includes eight floors of office space, two levels of underground parking, and four levels of above-grade podium parking with car charging stations and secure bike storage. The Davis Partnership design includes extensive use of architectural glass, which frames the top two floors of the building. These levels offer private amenities for tenants, including Schnitzer West's signature "great room," working and leisure space, and a rooftop terrace so that tenants can enjoy views of downtown and the Front Range mountains.

The Current will offer a vibrant environment for an engaged workforce, with its proximity to multi-family housing, upscale hotels and retail space, and public transportation, including the RTD A-Line station, offering increased flexibility for commuters and business travelers to and from Denver International Airport.

“We take great pride in contributing to the further development of RiNo and Denver's continued success and economic growth," said Lucas Schornstein, senior investment manager for Schnitzer West. "There is a growing demand from tenants for increased availability of high-quality, state-of-the-art, forward-thinking Class-A office space in this culturally vibrant hub. The Current will help attract, retain and empower major talent in this region.”

Featuring 6900 Layton, NAIOP's 2021 Office Development of the Year

Posted on September 6, 2021
By Shawn Donohoe, Senior Business Development Manager, The Weitz Company, LLC

When 6900 Layton broke ground in the dynamic Belleview Station development back in 2018, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock was quoted to say, “Belleview Station is well on its way to redefining how people can work, shop, dine and live all in one place – making it a signature asset for economic development and underscoring Denver’s position as a leading city for business success. We’re proud to celebrate the latest premier office space to take shape at one of Denver’s many transit-oriented development sites.”

Completed in September 2020, this sleek 385,000-square-foot Class AA Design Build and it’s custom, glass curtain certainly live up to expectations. Named Office Development of the year during the NAIOP Colorado “Best of the Best” in 2020. The project is located just 200 feet from the light-rail platform and the building rises 15 stories, bringing a stunning beauty to the office park by reflecting the skies of Denver and providing spectacular views for those inside the building.

The project was a design-build partnership between Prime West as the developer, Weitz as the General Contractor, and Gensler’s Denver studio. Throughout thechallenges of the pandemic, the team remained focused on safety and integrity. As Jim Neenan, president and CEO of Prime West said in the Colorado Real Estate Journal in August 2020, “Together as a team, we have pushed expectations on innovation and schedule. The result will be an elegant, progressive, mixed-use office asset further animating what is becoming a dynamic node on the southeast light-rail line.”

Bruce Porter, Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Weitz Company Rocky Mountain Business Unit, also believes the working relationships were key to the success of the project, saying “6900 Layton was a special project. I was continuously impressed by the attention to detail and the commitment from each of our team members, the design-build team, and our trade partners to maintain great working relationships across the project. Our Weitz office is located near 6900 Layton, and our team feels a great sense of accomplishment when we drive by the project each day.”

Structurally, the building is a hybrid, with the building frame accommodating garage parking (1,250 parking spaces) on the first five levels. A central cast-in-place concrete core is surrounded by a precast podium coming out of the ground for five stories, capped by a structural steel tower rising to the full height. On level one, 15,000 square feet of retail is joined by a large tenant-accessible fitness center and bike storage to encourage alternatives to auto-centric transportation.

Another unique feature is the integration of two completely independent mechanical systems. A primary central plant, located on the roof, serves floors 7 through 15, while a water source heat pump system is used on the lower six floors. The dual-process solution affords overall savings in both first costs and long-term operations.

6900 Layton was named the NAIOP Colorado Office Development of the Year in 2021.  The project also achieved LEED Gold and was a 2020 Regional Award Winner of “Excellence in Subcontracting” from the Design-Build Institute of America, Rocky Mountain Region.