Near a turning point

Highpointe developer close to agreements with home builders

By John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News
July 16, 2004

Highpointe at DIA is starting to take off.

The 1,800-acre development at East 64th Avenue and Tower Road, about three miles from Denver International Airport, was unveiled with great fanfare in January by Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

The $1.5 billion development was heralded not only as an economic generator that would bring thousands of jobs to the northeast metro area, but as a model for cooperation between Aurora and Denver. About 1,200 acres are in Aurora and about 600 are in Denver.

Developer Ray Pittman on Wednesday said he is close to signing agreements with two builders to construct 600 homes south of 64th Avenue and bordered by Dunkirk Street and Him-a-lay-a Road. Homes would be priced from about $225,000 to $300,000.

Pittman, head of Landmark Properties Group, would not identify the builders.

In addition, he said is negotiating with an operator for a 350-room hotel that could be expanded to 500 rooms. The hotel would be constructed around a yet-to-be-built 18-hole golf course on about 200 acres Pittman is leasing from DIA. The golf course eventually could be expanded to 27 holes, he said.

Pittman also said he expects to announce a financial partner within the next 30 to 60 days.

When completed, the development will include about 10 million square feet of offices and 650,000 square feet of retail, he said.

Eventually, Highpointe will have about 1,600 single-family homes and 1,200 apartment units, Pittman said. Homes will be built in all price ranges.

John Huggins, economic development director for Denver, said he is pleased that Pittman is lining up builders.

"I think it is great," Huggins said. "I think the residential sales are not quite the linchpin but are the foundation for the whole project."

Denver architect Al Colussy, who is working on the master plan, said, "We're really starting to see the momentum picking up nicely, especially once a couple of the home builders are in place."

He said he is hoping to persuade the home builders to provide a design that will set the houses apart from the "same old recycled Victorians" found in many new subdivisions.

He said he would like to see "more forward-thinking designs that are more contemporary," in a New Urbanism-style, pedestrian friendly setting.

But both Colussy and Pittman said that decision primarily will rest with the builders, who need to be convinced that they are designing homes for the market. An architectural review board will approve the home designs.

Colussy also said that Highpointe will be a "green," or environmentally sustainable, community.

"Across the board it will be making a strong green statement," Colussy said. The use of solar panels and turbine wind farms to produce electricity is being investigated, he said.

Aurora Mayor Tauer said that the development still has a number of hurdles, but he's pleased with the prog-ress.

He said the two cities, DIA and Pittman have discussed everything from the "noise contours" caused by planes at DIA, which limit where housing can be built, to transportation, short- and long-term water sources, roads, infrastructure and landscaping.

"So far, there's been no show-stopper," Tauer said. "I'm still very optimistic we can get through this thing. I think we are right where we should be at this point."

Pittman said he hopes that if voters approve the $4.7 billion FasTracks transportation plan in November, a light-rail station will be built at Peña Boulevard and Tower Road.

"That would make a lot of sense because we're eventually going to have a 10 million-square-foot office campus to serve," Pittman said.

Wendy Mitchell, president of the Aurora Economic Development Council, said it is the office component that most excites her.

"The one thing that Aurora has never had is top-notch quality office space," Mitchell said. "This is my entrance to the Class A office market. It gives us a ticket to ride."

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5207