At the center of the face-lift is a reimagined Main Street that will be turned into a pedestrian-only walkway.

Plans include a large central lawn, shaded gathering areas, mature trees, kids’ play spaces, fire and water features, outdoor dining patios, communal seating and year-round programming, including concerts and markets.

The 1.1 million-square-foot property sits in the heart of the Central Park master-planned community, formerly the site of Stapleton International Airport, and attracts more than 8.5 million visitors annually.

Los Angeles-based real estate private equity firm �� the center in 2022 with plans to reinvigorate the early-2000s development through new investment, updated amenities and a long-term growth strategy.

“After listening to the metro Denver community, we saw an incredible opportunity to evolve The Shops at Northfield into a destination that reflects the way people want to live, shop and connect today,” said Bastian Peters, managing director of retail asset management for Stockdale Capital, when redevelopment plans were first announced.

“We are not just reinvesting in the property — we’re investing in the future of Central Park and Northeast Denver by introducing first-to-market retail, diverse amenities, and thoughtfully designed public spaces.”

Across the property, visitors will see updated storefronts as well as enhanced lighting, signage and landscaping.

Signs of construction progress are becoming more noticeable at the Avenues at Northfield. Construction trucks continue hauling and moving dirt across the site as crews work throughout the development, bringing retail anchors one step closer to opening.

Furniture retailer Wayfair is set to open a new��140,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar location by late this year, which will cover two floors and feature 19 departments, including furniture, housewares, appliances, mattresses, florals, decor and dedicated areas for design services.

The building, 8298 E. Northfield Blvd., used to be a Macy’s before closing its doors earlier last year.

“Denver is an awesome city,” said Liza Lefkowski, vice president of merchandising and stores at Wayfair.

She said Northfield’s growth, established retail presence and transition toward a more pedestrian-oriented district made it an attractive location for the retailer.

“There’s a lot of great things going for (Avenues at Northfield). I mean, the minute I got there, I was like, ‘This is great. Yes, Wayfair would be lucky to be part of this.’ So we’re thrilled,” she said.

Lefkowski said the new location will employ about 150 people, ranging from entry-level and part-time workers to experienced leadership roles.

The Northfield location will join Wayfair’s growing roster of large-format stores, following openings in and Atlanta in March 2026. Wayfair also has another large-format location planned for Yonkers, N.Y., with an expected opening in .

“Our aspiration is to have a national footprint of stores, and we’re especially keen to enter those communities that are growing, that are really keen to celebrate the home, and Denver is very high on that list,” Lefkowski said.

Lefkowski said the company believes many metro areas can support multiple locations and that it is “certainly reasonable to believe” Wayfair will continue exploring opportunities in the greater Colorado area.

Major retailer JCPenney also exited the shopping center in late May 2025, but will be replaced by a 103,000-square-foot Life Time. The athletic club chain is set to open in 2027��at 8568 E. 49th Ave., and feature pickleball and a resort-style outdoor pool.

Meghan Akradi, Life Time’s senior vice president of membership and market strategy, said Central Park and the Northfield area have become one of the most vibrant parts of the Denver market, particularly over the past decade, attracting many young families and driving demand for lifestyle-oriented entertainment and recreation options.

The new club is expected to employ between 200 and 300 people and is being designed as more than a fitness facility, but as a social hub, Akradi said.

In addition, the Northfield location will also feature Life Time’s largest pickleball complex in the Denver market, with 12 to 13 courts planned.

Alongside another Life Time club scheduled to open this fall in Castle Pines, south of Denver, Akradi said the company hopes the Northfield location will help build on the area’s growing commercial momentum when it opens next year.

Other changes

Although traditional shopping centers and malls experienced because of the rise of e-commerce and the COVID-19 pandemic, activity has begun to rebound, according to Peters.

“As a property owner of a shopping center like the Avenues at Northfield, in order to remain relevant, you really need to provide an experience to the consumer,” Peters told The Post earlier this month.

Since the acquisition, Stockdale has executed leases totaling more than 344,000 square feet.

“I think that is what we’ve been pretty successful in curating, and we’re very confident that the Central Park community has been waiting for this kind of renovation and transformation of the property, and we’re ready for that,” he said.

That confidence is also fueling online buzz around additional developments at the center.

Construction is underway on a national specialty grocery store expected to open next to the Old Navy, filling a long-anticipated grocery gap on the north side of Central Park, according to Peters.

While Peters said he could not comment on who the prospective tenant is, have reported that the grocer will be a 12,527-square-foot Trader Joe’s near the corner of E. 47th Ave.

The quirky chain has not officially announced the location, but a Formal Site Development Plan submitted to the city late last year included drawings identifying Trader Joe’s as the occupant.

Public records also show a Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreement was recorded in March among SCP Northfield LLC, Bank of America and Trader Joe’s Co., further fueling speculation that the grocery chain will anchor the development.

Peters told The Post that they expect to conclude construction on the grocer by the end of the year.

Elsewhere at the center, global lifestyle retailer MINISO celebrated the grand opening of its new 6,487-square-foot store at the corner of Main Street and 46th Avenue.

Additional tenants are on the way, including Mexican restaurant chain 3 Margaritas and Bubba’s 33, an American dining chain known for its scratch-made menu, according to the shopping center’s website.

The new additions will join a roster of established retailers, including Lululemon, Sephora, Nike, American Eagle, Bass Pro Shops, SuperTarget and Harkins Theatres.

Peters said the redevelopment is a substantial investment divided into three sections: new anchor tenants, including Wayfair, Life Time and the grocer; common-area renovations; and additional specialty shops over the next several years.

He said the transformation is expected to be completed in phases through 2027, coinciding with the property’s 20th anniversary.

While retail construction continues to advance, additional development could soon take shape nearby. In March, plans were submitted to the city for 105 duplexes on a 15.5-acre site east of the shopping center.

A submitted plan said the proposed development consists of three- and four-bedroom duplex homes.

Drawings of the residential community show open green space and a private amenity center, envisioned to feature a pool and hot tub, outdoor seating and lounge areas, a dog park and gathering spaces for residents.

El Paso County that Buc-ee’s EPCO LLC has requested an administrative determination on whether its proposed land use qualifies as a “convenience store” under the county’s C-1 zoning district.

But county officials stress that the request is “not an approval of Buc-ee’s.”

“An administrative determination is a written code interpretation. It does not approve construction, authorize commercial activity, or approve a site development plan,” said Natalie Sosa, interim executive director of communications with El Paso County, in an email statement to The Post.

“In the event this is found to be a convenience store per the Land Development Code definition in Section 1.15 and therefore a permitted use, future approvals are administrative.”

The county’s website shows the project “Buc-ee’s ADM” was created on Thursday afternoon, with Buc-ee’s EPCO LLC submitting a nearly 300-page letter that includes traffic studies, site plans, memos and other supporting documents.

The request letter said the proposed development will include an approximately 74,000 square-foot building, 60 multi-product fueling dispensers under two canopies (120 fueling positions), approximately 20 electric vehicle (“EV”) charging stations, approximately 790 surface parking spaces, bicycle parking and associated site infrastructure. .

The request comes after Buc-ee’s EPCO LLC purchased land in April near the intersection of Beacon Lite Road and County Line Road, about 50 miles south of the Denver area.

Buc-ee’s, a larger-than-life roadside stop known for its spotless restrooms, beaver nuggets and almost theme-park-like experience, has drawn widespread attention on social media as it expands beyond its home state.

The company opened its on Monday, attracting thousands of people, heavy traffic and fans who camped outside, wore Buc-ee’s merchandise and posed with Buc-ee’s famous red-capped beaver mascot ahead of the grand opening. ��

Yet, the proposed development has divided the Tri-Lakes community. For nearly two years, supporters have praised the project����ap potential economic benefits, while opponents have raised concerns about its impact on traffic, water and the character of the area.

The Planning and Community Development Director will make the determination in writing, though the decision may also be referred to the Board of County Commissioners. Staff review could take up to 14 business days.

The determination may also be appealed within 30 days of the administrative determination, the county said.

Any future development application would be reviewed separately under the applicable county process. Future applications will be posted publicly through the county’s website and planning and development webpage at .

Representatives from Buc-ee’s did not respond to requests for comment.

This is a developing story and may be updated.��

The firm announced Monday afternoon that it has signed a lease for approximately 5,700 square feet at , with plans to relocate from its Boulder office later this year.

Plans submitted to the city show the firm will occupy Suite 1850 on the 18th floor, with the space designed to include mostly open work areas, private offices and typical business support services.

The move comes as Cooper Carry continues to expand in Colorado following its 2023 acquisition of Boulder-based architecture firm 505Design. The firm’s Colorado office employs 25, and the new space is designed to accommodate up to 45 employees.

“We were intentional about choosing a space that supports how our team works today and where we’re headed as a firm,” said Krista Dumkrieger, principal at Cooper Carry.

“It gives us the flexibility to expand, collaborate more effectively and better serve clients across Denver and the broader Mountain West. We are grateful for our time in Boulder and look forward to this next chapter in Denver.”

The 30-story 1900 Lawrence tower, a developed by Chicago-based Riverside Investment and Development and designed by , was completed in 2024 with more than 700,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

Cooper Carry said the relocation reflects its long-term commitment to the Denver market and the broader Western region. Located within walking distance of Union Station, the downtown location is expected to improve accessibility for employees and clients.

“Downtown Denver is in the midst of a meaningful resurgence,” said Kyle Reis, CEO of Cooper Carry.

The firm will continue to pursue opportunities across multifamily, hospitality, experiential graphic design, higher education, K-12 and mixed-use development sectors in the region.

Current projects in Colorado include renovations at the historic Hotel Boulderado, work with Denver Public Schools, environmental graphic design for Novel RiNo, interior design services for Link Apartments Fitz, among others.

In addition to its Colorado operations, Cooper Carry has offices in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, N.C.

The firm has recently completed The Villas at Canyon Suites at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz.; the dual-brand AC Hotel by Marriott Symphony Park and Element by Westin Symphony Park in Las Vegas; The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe in California; and the dual-brand AC Hotel by Marriott and Element by Westin at Norterra in North Phoenix, Ariz.

SRM has several locations in Colorado, including a plant in Denver at 1145 Quivas St. near Burnham Yard, the preferred location for a proposed new Broncos stadium and entertainment district.

Concept plans submitted to the city this month by , a Missouri-based firm that provides engineering and land surveying services, show a 4.92-acre site at 5150 N. Brighton Blvd. where some buildings will be removed to be replaced by a new SRM “wet batch plant.”��

Drawings of the plan show two existing buildings on the south side of the property will remain, while two other buildings on the north side will be demolished.

The proposal also calls for a new office building near the center of the site, as well as truck and employee parking areas, a 28-by-40-foot drying pit, 3,100 square feet of “Conc Sand” space and trailer roadways.

Owned by Wood Glen Holdings II LLC, the land appears to be home to a combined restaurant and truck wash, a car detailing service provider, towing business, bar and Mexican restaurant. Denver property records show Wood Glen purchased the land in late 2014 for $950,000.

SRM’s property near Burnham Yard is considered a key piece of the Broncos’ plans, with the team’s preliminary concepts extending onto the concrete company’s site. However, earlier this year, SRM CEO Jeff Hollingshead told The Post that there is “no transaction or agreement in place” to sell their Quivas Street location.

Scott Feldt, a civil engineer with Premier Design Group who submitted the concept plan through the city’s online permitting and licensing center portal, said in an email Wednesday afternoon that the company does not have any comment at this time.

Representatives from SRM did not respond to The Post����ap requests for comment on the new facility.

SRM is a and operated ready-mix, aggregates and cement company founded in 1999 by Mike and Melissa Hollingshead. The company serves customers in 24 states with more than 8,500 team members, according to its website.

The business will occupy an area at 3100 Brighton Blvd., next to the property’s office lobby entrance, according to a Wednesday announcement from Boston-based Beacon Capital Partners and Denver-based Elevation Development Group.

The 70- to 80-seat space will feature French influences alongside contemporary design elements.

“Everything I build is rooted in creating spaces that bring people together through thoughtful design, hospitality and atmosphere,” said Masters, founder of Hello Darling and Flora.

“The space at Steel House felt like the right place to create something lasting for the RiNo neighborhood, a place designed for connection, creativity and community throughout the day.”

Steel House was completed in 2025, featuring more than 300,000 square feet of office space and 12,000 square feet of retail space. Developers Beacon and Elevation acquired the land in 2019 and in early 2023.

Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and Open Studio Architecture, the 12-story building also features a range of amenities, including a 13,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, a tenant lounge, a two-story gym, a rock-climbing wall, an indoor basketball court, a yoga studio, a conference facility for more than 200 people, a bike room with repair stations and outdoor terraces on every floor.

The project has attracted interest from several employers, including Oakland, Calif.-based tech firm Fivetran, which is expected to move into the building by October after signing a nearly 33,000-square-foot lease for a floor at the top of the property.

Additionally, BusinessDen reported late last year that Denver-based hospitality company Alterra Mountain Co. was also eyeing space in the industrial-style building.

The Brighton Boulevard corridor continues to emerge as one of RiNo’s fastest-growing mixed-use districts, according to the announcement.

With more than 7,500 residential units nearby and continued development throughout the corridor, the area is seeing increased demand for hospitality, retail and service-oriented concepts.

Union Tower, a 14-story, 206,000-square-foot office building at 165 S. Union Blvd. was bought by Dunton Commercial and Laminar Real Estate on Thursday for $17.3 million, according to public records. Dunton is led by Nate Melchior and Taylor Fenn, and Laminar is run by Nate Bradley and Nate Schnabel.

Built in 1982, the building is 73% occupied, Melchoir said. It fetched $84 per square foot in the deal.

“With a nice mix of tenancy there, we see this as a best-in-class asset and opportunity to take that 73% and move it upward,” he added. “The current ownership has done a great job with the capital they’ve put into the building with some [upgrades to] common areas, amenities and back of house.”

The two firms plan to carve out more “spec suites” – completely built-out and readily available offices – of between 1,500 and 5,000 square feet. As they lease those out, the new owners will evaluate how much big-block space they should keep for larger tenants.

“The sweet spot in the west market is going to be that 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot range,” Bradley said.

Cress Capital, an office and industrial property investor, was the seller, represented by JLL’s Larry Thiel and Sean Whitney.

This week’s sale amounted to a 32% discount from the $25.3 million that Cress paid for the building in 2017.

The firm, which has offices locally and in Southern California, did not respond to a request for comment. Cress has other properties from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, including downtown Denver’s 410 17th St. office tower. The firm bought a pair of Denver Tech Center office buildings��in April.

Bradley, with Laminar, said his firm was looking at buying the tower for themselves when they realized Dunton was also interested.

“There was an opportunity, a synergistic opportunity, between the two groups to pursue it together with [Dunton’s] management and operations and experience in the market,” he said.

Dunton, which does property management, has been around since 1904. Melchoir��joined the company��in 2018, when it shut down its brokerage arm and started buying buildings for itself. It now owns or manages 5 million square feet of commercial real estate across Colorado.

Previously, Melchoir worked as a real estate asset manager with Wells Fargo, where he became acquainted with Bradley.

“Nate (Melchior) was a client of mine for over 10 years when he was at Wells Fargo initially and when he was onto Dunton. I was handling leasing with him and we established a great relationship there, some mutual respect,” Bradley said.

Bradley and Schnabel’s company, Laminar, has been around for only a few months. Bradley previously worked as a broker with Cushman & Wakefield. Schnabel, meanwhile, had been a solo office investor for a while after a stint at local shop DPC Cos. He has a 400,000-square-foot portfolio, Bradley said of his partner.

This deal is the second purchase for Laminar, after��buying��an office property in the Denver Tech Center in February.

Read more from our partner, .

The new analysis by the Denver office of shows that rents in LoDo for buildings characterized as Class A or trophy��were only about $1 per square foot more than the rest of downtown in 2019. The current rents are more than $12 per square foot higher than the rest of the central business district.

Rents for the most sought-after buildings in LoDo shot up 32% since 2019, compared with just 7% across the entire central business district.

“Everyone knows these buildings are performing better. What I found striking, putting the numbers to it, is just how wide that LoDo premium has become,” said T.J.��Jaroszewski, senior director of research for the mountain region of JLL.

LoDo has consistently outperformed the rest of downtown since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kourtny Garrett, president and CEO of the which promotes economic development. She said the area demonstrates the strength of a mixed-use neighborhood, dating back to the revitalization of Union Station, completed in 2014.

The business organization’s vision “is moving much more toward what you see in LoDo for the whole of downtown,” Garrett said.

Downtown Denver has been looking to get its groove back since the pandemic hit. Businesses closed their doors to the public and many people started working from home. Although activity has picked up and more employees are working at least a few days a week in the office, several downtown buildings remain underused and the loans on some business towers have lapsed into delinquency.

Building vacancies soared to the highest levels in decades, surpassing rates during the Great Recession and not seen since the region’s oil and gas bust in the mid-1980s.

One of the problems, real estate experts agree, is that the large stock of older buildings have suffered from what the industry calls a “flight to quality:” newer sites with up-to-date amenities in more diverse neighborhoods. Areas such as LoDo have fared better because of a mix of offices, restaurants, stores, entertainment spots and walkability, Jaroszewski said.

LoDo was attracting more interest than other parts of downtown even before COVID, he added. A real estate seminar focused on what people called the tale of two cities.

“We were positing even back then that all the pulse, all the lifeblood, all the attention was going toward the LoDo/Union station area,” Jaroszewski said.

But Jaroszewski was surprised when he separated the LoDo numbers from the rest of the central business district by how sharp the differences had become.

“It����ap the scale of the separation that����ap opened up inside downtown once you actually put hard numbers to it,” Jaroszewski said. “At this point, it increasingly feels like certain parts of downtown are still competing for demand, while other parts are competing much harder just to stay relevant in the conversation.”

The boundaries of the LoDo sub-market are generally Speer Boulevard to Coors Field and around Larimer Street to roughly a couple blocks west of Union Station. Jaroszewski’s analysis focused on the 68 Class A Buildings in the central business. Of those, 24 are in LoDo.

Vacancies in LoDo’s Class A buildings ticked up 2.5% since 2019, while those in the rest of the business district rose 22%.

LoDo’s vacancy rate for all types of building is about 20%, compared with 36.5% for the entire downtown.

Garrett believes the planned conversions of office buildings to residences and investments being made by Denver Downtown Development Authority in other parts of the central business district will be a catalyst for downtown. She sees the area shifting from a one-dimensional commercial office center into “something that is much more mixed-use and neighborhood driven.”

More than 70 new businesses opened last year along 16th Street, Garrett said. Formerly called the 16th Street Mall, the area, downtown’s primary corridor and home to restaurants, retail, hotels and office buildings, went through a $175.4 million makeover that was completed in 2025.

“The success that LoDo’s seeing is going to contribute to the success that the (central business district) will see. I think it’s a precursor to what they’re going to see,” said David Welsh, an executive vice president with the Downtown Denver Partnership.

Updated June 11, 2026, to add detail.

The site was acquired by and its joint venture partner, PCCP LLC.

The project����ap first phase, 828,000 square feet across four buildings, is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2027, according to a Monday announcement by commercial real estate company CBRE. Once completed, Crossroads 25 will total about 1.1 million square feet across six buildings.

Building 4 has been fully preleased to an undisclosed tenant, filling 409,000 square feet and marking the largest new industrial lease signed in the Denver area since 2024, according to the announcement. With this prelease, the industrial development is 49% leased.

Buildings 1, 2, and 3 are also available for lease, with sizes of 157,562 square feet, 171,242 square feet and 90,096 square feet, respectively.

TCC and PCCP acquired the land for nearly $18.9 million from ThornCo Land Holdings LLC, according to a special warranty deed filed with Adams County. ThornCo appears to be tied to Noddle Cos., a Nebraska-based commercial real estate development company.

����鷡’s represented the site’s seller in the transaction.

The CBRE team will also lead leasing efforts on behalf of TCC and PCCP. Simmons Bank has provided construction financing for the first phase of the development. Ware Malcomb designed the project, while Murray & Stafford will serve as the general contractor.

Crossroads 25 is designed to accommodate a range of distribution, logistics and manufacturing users.

In 2025, the northern Colorado industrial market, which has a little over 15 million square feet of inventory, saw strong tenant demand, with more than 1.2 million square feet occupied. That amounts to 7.9% of the total rentable space in the northern market, according to CBRE research data.

In comparison, across the Denver area, tenants occupied an average of 1.4% of rentable space in 2025.

Trammell Crow Co. is a commercial real estate developer and wholly-owned subsidiary of CBRE Group Inc., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas. Founded in 1948, TCC has developed or acquired 3,000 buildings valued at $90 billion spanning more than 700 million square feet. As of March 31, TCC had nearly $30 billion of projects in process or its pipeline.

PCCP is a real estate finance and investment management firm focused on commercial real estate debt and equity investments. Since 1998, PCCP has managed, raised or invested over $47.8 billion of capital through private equity funds, separate accounts and joint ventures.

She read more than 400 books as she navigated her grief, often spending hours tucked away in local cafes where she could escape into stories of hope, resilience and happily-ever-afters.

Now, the 29-year-old Morrison native is preparing to open along South Broadway in Englewood, a romance-only bookstore and coffee shop inspired by the two things she credits with helping her survive some of the most difficult years of her life.

Expected to open this summer at 2807 S. Broadway, Good Girl joins a growing wave of romance-focused businesses emerging amid the genre’s surging popularity, creating what Garcia-Jahrman hopes will become a gathering place for readers and anyone seeking community.

But for her, the project is also deeply personal.

Sitting outside on the patio of Corvus Coffee Roasters along South Broadway, with clear frame glasses and a baseball cap, Garcia-Jahrman warmly recalled her mother, Lynette, whose passion for reading, especially romance novels, brought her great joy, and her father, Stephen, whose dedication to supporting small businesses and local entrepreneurs left a lasting impact on those around him.

Both parents died unexpectedly from heart-related conditions, almost exactly one year apart in September 2024 and 2025.

The time that followed were marked by grief and upheaval for Garcia-Jahrman. Along with losing her parents, she became a mother herself and found her life rapidly changing.

She coped by immersing herself in hundreds of romance novels and spending long stretches in coffee shops, places where she said she didn’t have to be “the grieving daughter.”

“With the passing of my parents, I was able to inherit some money, and that����ap really kind of what was able to take Good Girl from a dream into a reality. My husband was like, ‘Why don’t you do what you really want to do?’ which has always been to open a coffee shop,” she said.

With the support of her husband, the possibility of opening her own business suddenly felt attainable and something she could give back to her parents.

Since the beginning of April, Garcia-Jahrman has documented nearly every step of the process on social media, sharing construction updates, branding decisions, hiring announcements and personal reflections with followers and friends.

Inside, Garcia-Jahrman said Good Girl will take shape as a colorful, maximalist bookstore and cafe with dark green walls, vintage furniture and shelves dedicated entirely to romance.

The store will stock everything from contemporary romance to such as “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by author Sarah J. Maas, from wholesale platforms like and Ingram. In addition, a section highlighting disability representation is among the features she is most excited about.

The cafe part of the property will feature specialty beverages and serve coffee from Subjective Coffee, a Westminster-based coffee shop that to several roasters across Colorado’s Front Range. Garcia-Jahrman said she first discovered the business as a customer and was drawn to its mission.

With her husband assisting in behind-the-scenes operations, Garcia-Jahrman said she has since hired an assistant manager and about five baristas for Good Girl and plans to hold a grand opening in July.

As construction continues on Good Girl, a project expected to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, depending largely on construction expenses, Garcia-Jahrman sees pieces of both parents throughout the space.

Her mother’s love of books is reflected in shelves devoted entirely to romance novels, while her father’s commitment to supporting local businesses inspired the cafe and its strong sense of community.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without them. I would not have been able to do this without them, and all the support that they’ve given me up until they passed away,” she said.

“It just felt right to honor them in this way, doing something that they would be really proud of, and that my mom would love to frequent and my dad would love to support.”

Good Girl arrives as romance continues to dominate the publishing industry.

The name itself is rooted in romance culture, Garcia-Jahrman said. “Good Girl” references a well-known romance trope familiar to many readers of the genre, while also lending itself to the branding, merchandise and playful identity she envisioned for the business.

The genre annually and has experienced a recent boom, particularly in romantasy, a blend of romance and fantasy. TikTok’s “#BookTok” community has titles onto bestseller lists and cultivate devoted online fan communities. Adaptations and romance-centered series such as and Off Campus have also helped introduce new audiences to the genre.

That growth in popularity has also impacted Colorado’s bookselling landscape. Denver welcomed its first brick-and-mortar romance bookstore, the Spicy Librarian, early last year. At the time, the store’s owner told The Post that demand was so strong that customers routinely traveled hours to visit the shop. Other notable romance-focused businesses include Sugar and Spice Books in Boulder, Cherry On Top Bookshop in Fort Collins and the mobile .

Garcia-Jahrman said she hopes to meet that demand closer to home, particularly for customers south of Denver.

“Romance, I just love it, and I think that it is such an underestimated genre,” she said. “Whatever trials and tribulations are going on, you know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

It’s a message that resonated deeply after the deaths of her parents, and one she hopes others will find inside Good Girl.

“I’m hoping to build more of a third space. I want people to be able to come and hang out and read their book or bring their craft — if they want to sit and crochet or cross-stitch —�� and sit for a while and not feel rushed,” she said.

“I just want people to feel at home, and like they’re able to be who they are.”

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The 90,000-square-foot facility, almost twice the size of a typical Dick’s store, is nearing completion on about 11 acres at 16401 Washington St.

While the House of Sport will offer a selection of team sports equipment, athletic apparel and footwear, along with golf and outdoor recreation gear, it is designed primarily as a community destination centered on sports and activity, according to planning documents submitted to the city.

The store will include interactive features such as an indoor climbing wall, TrackMan golf simulators and batting cages, giving customers opportunities to try out equipment and build their skills. Apparel shops, a large footwear deck and a specialty “House of Cleats,” along with hardline merchandise sections, will be located around the proposed climbing wall.

In addition, a dedicated service bar will offer on-site support for gear, including bike repairs, hockey skate sharpening, and baseball glove steaming and conditioning while customers shop.

The Larkridge Shopping Center’s website says the new location is expected to of this year.

The opening is part of the sports retailer’s broader growth strategy, which includes plans to open between by 2027. The company anticipates hiring for 166 positions, including 126 part-time employees, 32 full-time employees, and 12 salaried management positions.

Early plans submitted to the city said the projected capital cost for improvements was estimated at $38 million, covering the new construction of the building, along with the site development needed.

The company acquired the land from Jordon Perlmutter & Co. in June 2025 for more than $5.5 million, according to records filed with Adams County.

Representatives from Dick’s Sporting Goods did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.