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— Office Properties Quarterly — October 2015
Trends in Action
by Michelle Z. Askeland
During the Great Recession, Lin-
coln Property Co. halted plans for an
office development at Colorado Bou-
levard and Interstate 25. After the
markets recovered, those involved
say the project benefited from this
hiatus. The project’s goal evolved
from enhancing the office environ-
ment at the upcoming transit site to
the current goal of making the site a
24/7 balanced mix of uses that still
capitalized on the active transit site.
“The Great Recession had a silver
lining as far as this project is con-
cerned,” said Collin Kemberlin, AIA,
LEED AP, principal with Tryba Archi-
tects. “It allowed us to get back to a
conversation of what really is worth
investing in, what really holds its
value, and what people find impor-
tant and exciting about the places
where they live, work and play.”
Lincoln Property Co. acquired the
12 acres of land at 2000 S. Colorado
Blvd. in January 2006. At the time,
the site was a quasi-suburban office
park with three Class A office build-
ings, a Dave & Busters and United
Artists Colorado Center Stadium 9
and IMAX, as well as several surface
parking lots.
Immediately after acquiring the
land, Lincoln, along with partners
Tryba Architects, ASB Real Estate
Investments and JE Dunn Construc-
tion, began a rezoning campaign to
change the site to a transit mixed-
use zone. The southeast corridor of
the light rail was set to make Colo-
rado Center a major light-rail sta-
tion and above-ground bus transfer
facility.
The initial plans for the complex
called for another large office build-
ing at the center of the site, with
some retail on the ground floor and
along a main street, which would
connect the parking lot and the
office building, Kemberlin said.
However, in 2008, the market
turned and Lincoln Property Co.
decided to table the plan, said Scott
Caldwell, Lincoln Property Co. senior
vice president. Once the market
bounced back, the plans were rede-
signed with a new emphasis on
creating an urban environment that
remained active well after the work-
day ends.
In August, the first phase broke
ground. The project now includes
210,000 square feet of Class AA
office building with covered park-
ing – about 100,000 sf less office
space than originally planned;
205,000 sf of residences – originally
not planned for the first phase; and
40,000 sf of main street retail – sub-
stantially more than planned origi-
nally.
“What came to the forefront in the
reboot of the project was the impor-
tance of adding a residential com-
ponent to Phase 1,” said Kemberlin.
“It became clear that the office and
the retail would not be as success-
ful, the main street would not be as
successful, if it shuttered its doors
at 5 p.m. We needed the 24/7 activ-
ity that residential uses would bring
to keep the retail and entertainment
going. To allow people to live on the
site was a game changer.”
Kemberlin refers to the unique
nature of the site – not quite subur-
ban, but also not fully urban. Find-
ing a balance that embraced the
urbanization of the area while still
offering nods to suburban comforts
was a balancing act.
The recession also allowed inves-
tors to reexamine what was impor-
tant to the project. Rather than
looking for a quick build and sell,
investors acted as long-term vision-
aries who acknowledged that the
main street and retail, which might
not speak to the bottom line of the
office property, would help com-
mand higher office rents and attract
the eye of tenants looking for Class
A property, he said.
All of these changes were prompt-
ed by observing the evolution of
what people want, including the
way people office in space from a
density standpoint as well as what
they say is important, said Caldwell.
“I think the way people are look-
ing for convenience has evolved – so
walkable amenities, multiple oppor-
tunities for transit and their com-
muting patterns have changed over
time,” he said. “A lot of what we’re
designing is catered to address
those demands and needs that we
see today that have accentuated
over time.”
Design Changes
In addition to changes in cultural
demand for transit options and a
strong work-live-play environment,
the office design changed in several
significant ways between 2008 and
2013.
First, the office building’s position-
ing changed within the site, and it is
smaller. But, although the building
is now smaller, the volume of each
floor should feel larger because the
ceiling heights were increased and
there’s more glass in the design.
The overall feel of the building also
evolved, from one that used a lot of
heavy materials –granites, marbles,
woods – to convey permanence to
the new design that reflects a sense
of hospitality.
“It’s very important to our clients
that the lobby be a place they could
invite people in to hang out,” Kem-
berlin said. The kinds of things that
would have caused a generation-ago
office manager to shudder– such as
bringing in food or meeting for cof-
fee in the lobby – are now sought
after, which is a good change, he
said.
Rather than a traditional dropped
ceiling, the building will feature an
open-ceiling concept without acous-
tic ceiling tiles to give a view of the
precast concrete structure, show-
ing off the mechanical, electrical
and fire sprinklers. And an effort to
increase light and openness within
the suites embraces the collabora-
tive designs that are dominating
offices today, said Kemberlin.
One of the biggest changes within
the past five years is the increased
importance of outdoor spaces.
Renderings courtesy Tryba Architects
The planned 210,000-square-foot Class AA office building at Colorado Center
Bird’s-eye view of the Colorado Center development plans and the light-rail station
Residential, as well as more retail, was added to the first phase of the Colorado Center
project to embrace a 24/7 active environment.
