9th and Colorado Development Update
For more than 75 years, the 9th Ave. and Colorado Blvd. site served as the campus for the University of Colorado Health and Sciences Center (UCHSC), aiding its growth and development from the 1920’s to the 1990’s. During the University’s time in this space, many medical advancements have been made, including the identification and recognition of child abuse in the medical community. Because of these medical advancements, UCHSC expanded to over 26 acres. In the late 1990’s, however, it had outgrown the urban area and in 1996, the University began plans to move to Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora.
In 2000, the Colorado State legislature passed a bill that stated that UCHSC had to enter into an agreement with a third-party master developer to redevelop the 9th and Colorado site by June 30, 2006. In 2005, the University selected a developer, and in 2007, UCHSC moved to Aurora. Unfortunately, in 2011, the recession caused the developer to be unable to purchase and develop the property. During 2012, the University engaged with two different developers, one of which proposed the construction of a Walmart, a project that was met with strong protests from community members. Finally, in 2013, the University issued a new developer call-for-offers, and entered into a purchase contract with Continuum and CIM in 2014. Demolition of the site began in March 2015.
Image via Davis Partnership Architects. See here →
The 9th and Colorado site is surrounded by thriving residential neighborhoods, such as Congress Park, Cherry Creek North, Hilltop, and more. The goal of the project is to reintegrate the site into those neighborhoods by developing commercial and residential spaces. This includes around 250,000 square feet of retailers and restaurants, more than 1,000 residential options - including 112 affordable housing units - and multiple parks and open spaces. According to Davis Partnership Architects the site "is envisioned to be a strong example of pedestrian-oriented development and mixed-use planning, one that will serve as catalyst for responsible future development in the broader neighborhood context,"
Since purchasing the site in January 2015, Continuum and CIM and their general contractor, Saunders Construction, have completed demolition of the site. This includes all of the buildings north of 9th Ave, and several south, as well as the Biomedical Research Building. Implosion of this building drew huge crowds and over 93 million world-wide media views. Most recently, the Research Bridge that extends across 9th Ave. was gutted, and is in the beginning stages of design for adaptive use, in addition to renovation on the existing parking structure at 11th Ave. and Colorado Blvd.
According to the Denver Post, the project’s first phase of 600 apartment units and ground-floor retail space could open by late summer of 2017.
For more information and news about the site’s construction, visit www.9thandcolorado.com.
