The University of Denver’s Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management, in partnership with the Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors, honored companies and individuals in six categories at the 18th annual Rocky Mountain Commercial Real Estate Expo and Fall Forecast at the Colorado Convention Center.
The awards recognize outstanding accomplishments in architectural design, site planning and creativity, as well as project impact on the industry, economy and the community as a whole.
DaVita’s $110 million, owner-financed project at 2000 16th Street in the Central Platte Valley is a 14-story composition of glass, metal and stone. The 260,000-square-foot building, completed in August on time and under budget, serves as the new home of DaVita, one of the U.S. leaders in kidney care. It accommodates about 950 DaVita employees and features several open-air terraces, with spectacular views of Denver, including nearby construction at Union Station. Special recognition was given to developer Trammel Crow Co., MOA Architecture and Saunders Construction Co.
Winner of the Hotel Project of the Year was The Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center at Metropolitan State University of Denver, which opened in August. It features a fully functioning hotel — Springhill Suites Denver Downtown, which is operated by hotel management firm Sage Hospitality — and an extensive learning laboratory for a diverse and growing body of hospitality students. Located west of the corner of Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway, the $45 million hotel has 150 rooms as well as conference facilities.
History Colorado Center was the winner of the Special Project of the Year. Opened in April at 1200 Broadway, it features a four-story central atrium and five exhibit halls totaling 40,000 square feet, including an 11,000-square-foot hall with humidification and temperature controls that meet the certification of Smithsonian exhibit criteria. It also has an auditorium, three classrooms and three multipurpose event spaces, along with offices, a public library, workshops and a photo studio.
The Multifamily Project of the Year was Alta Aspen Grove, a 280-unit apartment development at 7317 S. Platte River Parkway in Littleton. Adjacent to the upscale Aspen Grove shopping center, the 17.5-acre project is nestled among a nature preserve, a bicycle greenway path and a light-rail station.
Named Historic Renovation Project of the Year was The Mining Exchange — Wyndham Grand Hotel, Colorado Springs. The five-story building in downtown Colorado Springs was originally constructed in 1902 by Winfield Scott Stratton, a Cripple Creek millionaire and civic benefactor. The $30 million remodel was focused on preserving the history of the building, including converting 17 safes into functioning parts of the hotel.
“This year’s honorees represent a truly diverse, creative and talented group of companies and individuals,” said Mark Levine, professor at the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management and chairman of the Project of the Year Committee. “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to recognize these projects as a representation of the quality and growth of our commercial real estate market.”