LITTLETON —As anyone who has taken a drive along Dry Creek Road just east of Broadway can attest, home builders are hard at work in Littleton this fall.
To the northeast of East Dry Creek and Broadway lies the mixed-use development. The 77-acre property was vacant since Marathon Oil moved its research facility from the property 15 years ago.
But as of late August, homebuilders and have been busy putting up single-family residences on the eastern half of the property, including detached models and some townhomes. All told, the two developers are permitted to build more than 230 single-family residences, according to Littleton planning and development staff members. The city has also issued permits for 362 apartment units, with being brought on to build those.
All told, Littleton Village stands to be greatest influx of new housing in Littleton since the in the 1990s, said city planning manager Andrea Mimnaugh.
“It’s the city’s biggest project,” said of the development, also set to include up to 250,000 square feet of office and retail space, including a recently confirmed Kneaders Bakery & Cafe on Broadway. “This is an exciting development for Littleton and it will offer opportunities for people to live and work and socialize here.”
Beckman, who worked for 37 years for the Littleton Police Department, said Littleton’s best opportunities for growth are urban infill, and redevelopment like that occurring at Littleton Village. With the city recently landing on lists ranking it among the in America, Beckman said it is important to offer a variety of housing types to accommodate people seeking to move to town.
“We have a character and quality of life that really fits a lot of people’s expectations,” he said, citing the city’s trails and schools. “Littleton just seems to be a place of choice.”
Ken Rabel is the president of Century Communities’ urban division. He said his company is building a total of 180 units at Littleton Village, including two styles of townhomes. The Colorado-based company has had its eye on opportunities at the Marathon Oil site for “a number of years,” he said.
“One thing is, we really pride ourselves is location. We want nothing but A+ locations,” Rabel said. “This is in a perfect niche within Littleton.”
Century opened its onsite sales office at Littleton Village over Halloween weekend, and around 10 units have already sold. The first homeowners could move in as soon as early January, he said.
Littleton Village is hardly the only residential development going up in Littleton. Just across Broadway, at 101 W. Jamison Ave, developers recently received city approval to build in a series of duplexes. Crews broke ground in spring on the project, slated to bring 385 apartments spread among 20 buildings southeast of West County Line Road and Santa Fe Drive.
Also this spring, the city for the first buildings completed as part of the project, a 250-apartment complex at South Platte Canyon Road and West Mineral Avenue. And that’s not to mention all of the infill projects taking place in already established parts of town.
Mary Ann Hinrichsen is a Greenwood-based realtor and board chairwoman for the . She credited Littleton’s for helping spur development of a variety of housing options in town. She said the inviting environment for developers coupled with the many amenities make Littleton an exciting opportunity.
“As of the moment, availability of housing within Littleton is limited, especially new housing. Having 500 residential units cropping up in a tight market offers the realtor a chance to provide choice in a quality environment,” she said via e-mail. “It is great for the community, enhances and embraces the existing marketplace, and provides the consumer a fantastic choice in a fantastic environment.”
Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953, jrubino@denverpost.com or @RubinoJC
