Downtown designs: Parks, plazas and locally owned businesses are what’s needed in downtown Denver, according to Mark Hinshaw of Seattle-based LMN Architects.
The featured speaker at ULI Colorado’s quarterly luncheon Wednesday, Hinshaw said Denver has done a good job of attracting national chains to its core but should focus on drawing local retailers and restaurants.
“That’s where the magic happens,” he said.
Adding green space also should be a priority for downtown planners. “When you build green, people want to be near it.”
Apartment acquisition: A Broomfield-based real estate firm paid $17.9 million for a 360-unit apartment complex in Westminster.
Colorado & Santa Fe Real Estate bought Sandpiper Apartments, 8200 N. Sheridan Blvd., its second major apartment acquisition in the Denver area and its third deal in Colorado. The company purchased the 322-unit The Summit at Thornton in January 2005 and a 268-unit community in Colorado Springs.
The company owns nearly 2,400 apartment units in Colorado, Arizona and Texas. The Colorado operations are handled by Peter Wells, Daniel Sorrells and Brian Wilson.
Paving the way: Infrastructure work has started on a 1,400-acre residential development in El Paso County.
Forest Lakes, at Interstate 25 and Baptist Road, eventually will include more than 400 homesites and a 250-acre business park. The community has two large lakes and its own metropolitan and sewer district.
The project is being jointly developed by Colorado Springs-based Schuck Corp. and Kansas City, Mo.-based Chillicothe Properties.
Building smart: A Fort Collins company has released the first in a series of educational DVDs for homebuyers.
“Your 21st Century High Performance Home” is the first in the Housebirth series produced by Home Building Coach Inc., a 6-year-old company founded by Sara Lamia. Topics covered include solar-smart designs, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, indoor air quality and safety, and proper heating and cooling design and installation.
Lamia is the author of “How to Enjoy Building Your Dream Home: A Workbook for Buyers and Builders.” She hosts “Homes on the Range,” a weekly radio show about homebuilding on KRFC-FM in Fort Collins.
Staff writer Margaret Jackson can be reached at 303-820-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com.
