Join us for an exclusive ULI tour showcasing Northern Colorado, the fastest-growing region in the state, where a remarkable story of job creation and population growth unfolds. This dynamic region offers a blueprint for intentional regional design, connecting thriving municipalities through innovative planning and collaboration. Explore master-planned, mixed-use communities that reflect a commitment to smart growth and sustainable development. Experience firsthand how Northern Colorado is fostering economic vitality while preserving its unique character and enhancing quality of life. The tour includes mixed-use communities around I-25 and Highway 34 with a stop at Scheels, the first location of its kind in Colorado, setting a standard for retail and entertainment in the region; Colorado State University’s Powerhouse Energy Campus, a state-of-the-art facility at the forefront of clean energy research and innovation, where technology and sustainable solutions are shaping the future; the site named Fourth Best Square in America by USA Today, where culture, commerce, and community intersect in a vibrant public space; and one of Northern Colorado’s iconic breweries, showcasing the region’s vibrant craft beer culture. Discover how intentional regional planning and forward-thinking initiatives are driving Northern Colorado’s success, creating opportunities for talent, innovation, and meaningful connections across municipalities.

Originally a medical depot for the U.S. Army during World War II, York Street Yards has been transformed into a thriving center for innovation and creativity. The preservation of this brick and timber project, guided by a deep respect for the site’s rich heritage, preserves the architectural integrity of the original buildings while infusing them with modern amenities for today’s tenants. These once-utilitarian warehouses have been reimagined as flexible workspaces, fostering a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators.

In 2011, Denver nearly lost its legacy Stock Show. The National Western Stock Show organization was exploring other options after outgrowing its outdated facilities. In 2012, Denver came up with a plan not only to keep it but also to transform the 250-acre site into so much more. Five major partners—the City of Denver, Colorado State University, The National Western Stock Show, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and History Colorado—worked with the public to create a new master plan. In 2015, the citizens of Denver approved funding of nearly $1 billion to transform the site with 2.2 million square feet of new facilities as the future home for a convergence of food and agriculture innovation, education, and entertainment in the National Western Center.

Union Station is a Denver icon. Opened in 1881, it held the distinction of being the tallest building in the West in its day. The Station reached its zenith in the mid-1940s, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors daily, but with the waning popularity of train travel in the latter half of the 20th century, the Station gradually fell into disuse.

In 2001, efforts began in earnest to reimagine the once-great landmark. The historic Denver Union Station would become the centerpiece of a shopping, dining, and cultural destination—part of a grand vision to revitalize 14 city blocks featuring offices, apartments, restaurants, stores, condominiums, hotels, and entertainment.

The scope of the project included three primary components:

• Transit: A joint venture of East West Partners and Continuum Partners, this project was planned and financed with additional partnership of the City of Denver, RTD, the state, and Trammell Crow. A $480 million multimodal transit station is now the hub of Denver’s rail and bus system; it features incredible new public spaces and is the impetus of an urban migration that’s drawing young singles, families, and retirees back to the city’s core.
• Private development: Several parcels of the station land were redeveloped, including two 100,000-square-foot companion office buildings that frame the historic building on the new kinetic plaza; the Triangle Building, a modern, mixed-use office and retail tower; 16 Chestnut, a 430,000-square-foot office building; and The Coloradan, Union Station Neighborhood’s only for-sale, residential high-rise, among others.
• Renovation of the historic station as the crown jewel of the community: Preservation and adaptive use of the historic station reached their highest form to maintain the neighborhood’s storied history. The Union Station Alliance continues to put love and care into Denver’s living history. Inspired by the journey, Denver Union Station has nearly completed an extensive refresh that honors its position as a thriving transit hub and downtown cultural destination.

Today, the entire Union Station Neighborhood works as a powerful economic engine for the city and the region, generating $3.8 billion in initial impact in 2014 and an additional $2.9 billion of impact on an ongoing basis. Come learn about the development of Denver’s iconic Union Station as a transportation hub, retail center, and hospitality location as it continues to serve visitors and locals from around the world.

Sun Valley, a central neighborhood in the metro Denver region, is home to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Today, 94 percent of the neighborhood’s housing market is subsidized, with only 5 percent of the homes occupied by their owners. Additionally, over 80 percent of the population is living below the poverty line. Sun Valley residents represent over 33 different cultural backgrounds, speak more than 28 languages, and 25 percent identify as first-generation immigrants, 4 percent as second-generation immigrants, and 20 percent as refugees. In Sun Valley, Denver Housing Authority is poised to create a new model of community transformation with equity, environmental justice, and public health as its driving forces.

In addition to housing developments, the Sun Valley Riverfront Park is a planned 11-acre regional park running the length of the South Platte River. Developed in response to the priority health issues in the neighborhood, the park creates a safe space that celebrates the diversity of the neighborhood, promotes physical activity and healthy eating, provides spaces for mental restoration, and ensures all Sun Valley residents have access to quality open space.

Colorado Springs lies an hour south of Denver amid some of Colorado’s most breathtaking natural landscapes. Visit the recently completed United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum (designed by Diller Scorfidio + Renfro)—one of the most accessible museums in the world. Then visit Weidner Field (a 10,000-seat urban stadium home to the United Soccer League Champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks) to learn about urban stadium development in mid-market cities. Lastly, tour current urban renewal and downtown development authority areas (residential and commercial) and the creative district to understand the local efforts and tools used to create public/private partnership redevelopment opportunities.

A neighborhood that has not yet fulfilled its promise, the Golden Triangle is poised to become the vibrant, mixed-use downtown neighborhood it has always aspired to be. Already home to some of Denver’s most important cultural assets and institutions, recent significant real estate transactions, a zoning code rewrite, and the Downtown Denver Partnership–led 5280 Trail are set to transform the landscape with an inundation of food, beverage, and retail opportunities; new public spaces; and improved connections to surrounding neighborhoods.

Explore Denver’s most dynamic new area of growth and development along the South Platte River. Hop on a bike and take a seven-mile ride on a flat, protected bike path with many stops along the way. Visit RiNo Park, the first green space in Denver’s River North area, which historically has been home to manufacturing industry and artists. The park will feature two repurposed buildings, activated by the River North Art District. Ride south to Confluence Park, Denver’s origin in 1858 at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, which has been transformed into a kayak run, several new urban residential developments, all immediately across from REI’s Colorado flagship store. The final leg of the tour rides through the future sites of over 20 million square feet of urban mixed-use developments, the River Mile, the Stadium District, Denver’s own Meow Wolf, and Steam. 

See one of the most creative adaptive reuse projects in Denver! Pancratia Hall is a four-story, red brick, collegiate gothic style building constructed between 1929 and 1930, originally designed by master architect Harry W.J. Edbrooke for Loretto Heights College. Transformed into a 74-unit affordable multifamily project in one of the most creative adaptive reuse projects in Denver, Pancratia Hall provides affordable housing in southwest Denver. It offers a unique example of how historic buildings can not only be preserved but transformed to address the urgent issues facing real estate development today, where history, design, and function are all preserved to create a one-of-a-kind environment.

At the heart of downtown Denver, Larimer Square is where historic charm meets the vibrant energy of downtown. Named for pioneering General William Larimer, it was the city’s first block, first commercial district, first designated historic district, and home to its first residence and city hall. Now, preservation and restoration efforts maintain its heritage architecture and streetscape while honoring Denver’s pioneering spirit to set the stage for Larimer Square’s future.

This tour also visits Auraria Campus to learn about its impact on the area. Auraria is home to three institutions: Community College Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver. Auraria’s master plan sets a vision for the campus’s physical environment—shaping goals, objectives, and design principles for its future growth and establishing a collaborative project-planning approach to improve campus space and meet its most urgent needs. This plan integrates Auraria into the city, further connecting the campus to downtown Denver through alignment with the 5280 Trail, the redevelopment of the Auraria Parkway, and more.

For more than 60 years, the Downtown Denver Partnership has convened, collaborated, and led a bold vision to build an economically powerful center city. The Partnership believes providing venues for residents, workers, and visitors to gather, relax, and play in the public realm is a key component of fostering a balance between urban life and the outdoors and adding vitality to urban spaces. Over the years, the Partnership has led efforts to make Skyline Park accessible and inviting through activations including the Downtown Denver Ice Rink, the Skyline Beer Garden, Putt-Putt Golf, a dog park, and much more. Now, the Partnership is working alongside Denver Parks & Recreation on the Skyline Park Improvements Project to ensure that the public space serves the need of those who live, work, and play in the center city. Come learn about the future of the park that is at the heart of downtown Denver!