Page 2B—
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
—
June 1-June 14, 2016
A
dams County is
projected to be one
of the fastest-growing
counties in Colorado, with its
current population of 469,000
expected to increase by 50
percent in the next 30 years.
Rapid residential,
commercial, industrial
development and
redevelopment is
transforming the landscape
of the county. Contributing
to this transformation is The
Aerotropolis – land in and
around Denver International
Airport – which will add
significantly to Adams County’s
prosperity.
In June 2015, Adams County
and Denver reached a historic
agreement that would amend
the 1988 Intergovernmental
Agreement to guide
commercial development at
Denver International Airport.
In part, the agreement
includes:
• Denver and Adams County
will create a 1,500-acre pilot
program on DIA where a
wider spectrum of commercial
uses will be allowed than are
currently permitted under the
1988 IGA.
• Adams County and
Denver will evenly split tax
revenues generated from new
commercial uses on these 1,500
acres at DIA.
• Land restrictions will be
eliminated on 1,130 acres of
commercially developable land
in Adams County near DIA.
Adams County will receive all
lease and tax revenue from this
land.
In November 2015, voters
from Adams and Denver
counties overwhelmingly voted
to approve the agreement
following the successful
Yes on
1A for DIA
campaign.
The Aerotropolis
Touted by Time Magazine
as “one of the ten ideas that
will change the world” the
“Aerotropolis” is a urban form
placing airports in the center
with developments growing
around them, connecting
workers, suppliers, executives,
and goods to the global
marketplace.
The Aerotropolis, which
includes Denver International
Airport (DEN), Adams
County and the cities of
Aurora, Brighton, Commerce
City, and Denver, is poised
to be one of the most
impactful development
corridors in Colorado.
Significant opportunities and
developments are in the works,
including:
•
Porteos
is a 1,200-acre
development located at the
northeast corner of Jackson
Gap Street and 64th Avenue in
Aurora. The site:
° allows for a variety of uses
including: Aviation, Industrial,
Retail, Hotel, Office and Flex
space;
° is located 2 miles from the
DIA main terminal and the new
Westin Hotel; and
° benefits from two existing
interchanges at E-470/56th and
64th and one at Peña Boulevard
(Jackson Gap Street).
•
DIA Tech Center
200-acre
master-planned business park
located at 81st and Tower Road
in Commerce City. The site:
° accommodates a wide
variety of uses including
industrial, retail, office and flex;
° has great access to Denver
International Airport;
° offers non-developer
controlled industrial land
opportunity; and
° is the future hotel and
restaurant amenities within the
project.
•
Peña Station
is a 400-acre
transit-oriented development
located in Denver. The site:
° is home to Panasonic
Enterprise Systems new
headquarters;
° is located on the airport rail
line that connects Downtown
Denver via Union Station to the
airport; and
° has an emphasis on
sustainable development of
hotels, retail, multifamily,
entertainment, health care and
office.
•
Front Range Airport (FTG)
and
Spaceport Colorado.
With
almost 4,000 acres of land,
Front Range Airport is one
of the largest general-aviation
airports in the United States.
The airport is six miles from
Denver International Airport.
Proximity to a highly skilled
aerospace workforce, research
universities, major aerospace
and defense companies
combine to make FTG an ideal
location for a commercial
spaceport.
•
Tower Road
will be widened
from 80th Avenue to Peña
Blvd and include a westbound
on ramp at the interchange
of Tower Road and Peña
Boulevard. The project will
begin in spring 2016.
•
Jackson Gap Street
provides new south entrance
to DIA from 56th Avenue. The
developer of
Porteos
invested
$13 million to complete
Jackson Gap Street and related
infrastructure, all without
public financing.
The future
By 2040 we could see:
• 74,000 new jobs (18,000 on
airport and 55,000 surrounding
the airport) in The Aerotropolis
• 210,000 people living in and
near The Aerotropolis
• 75,000 new housing units
• $600 million to $800 million
in new revenue
• 18 million to 32 million
square feet of new commercial
development
Source: Colorado Aerotropolis
Visioning Study, CDOT and HDR,
2016
The development of
an aerotropolis can take
decades and requires long
range regional planning and
marketing. Adams County
and its regional partners are
committed to making The
Aerotropolis a reality.
For more information,
contact Tricia Allen at TAllen@
AdamsCountyED.com or
visit our website at www.
AdamsCountyED.com.
Tricia Allen
Senior Vice President, Adams County
Economic Development
Adams County Economic Development
ADAMS COUNTY
AURORA
BRIGHTON
COMMERCE
CITY
DENVER
DENVER
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
AEROTROPOLIS
Source:
Colorado Aerotropolis Visioning Study
CDOT and HDR February 2016
BRINGING
PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS & PROSPERITY
TO THE REGION
COLLABORATION:
