Broadway

Hopes were high a few years back that by this time in the summer of 2012, the redevelopment of the old Gates Rubber Company campus on S. Broadway would be well on the way to becoming one of the latest and greatest places to live, work and play anywhere in the Rocky Mountain West.

And then came the Great Recession of 2007. One potential developer – Chicago-based Joseph Freed & Company – bailed on its commitment to develop the land west of Broadway, and the west side landowner – Cherokee Investments – was unable to maintain its funding stream, and folded its tent as well, plunging the property into bank ownership and redevelopment plans into limbo.

District 7 City Councilman Chris Nevitt told The Profile recently that the Gates Corporation has retaken sole ownership of the 70 or so undeveloped acres between Broadway, Santa Fe Dr., I-25 and Mississippi Ave. “I’d like to tell you, as would they (Gates), that they’ve got a new developer on board and it’s full speed ahead, but that’s just not the case,” said Nevitt. “What is true is that there is a lot of interest in the site, as you can imagine, but considerable complexities remain around site contamination and the buildings that remain. Gates is continuing with cleaning up the remaining environmental challenges, in hopes of turning over a clean block of land for someone to build on.”

Gates spokesman Tom Reeve told a recent meeting of neighborhood representatives that his company intends to begin demolition of the remaining factory buildings by the end of this year.

On the east side of Broadway, Lionstone Group continues to facilitate continued redevelopment of the land bounded by I-25, Tennessee Ave., Logan St. and Broadway. Lionstone rehabbed, leased and eventually sold the historic brick buildings on the east side of S. Broadway, immediately south of the interstate, constructed a multi-level parking structure to service those buildings, and rode herd over McStain’s construction of some 40 duplex residences along Logan, Grant and Sherman streets.

Soon to rise out of Lionstone’s turf will be a 260-unit, luxury rental apartment complex with the working name of 1000 S. Broadway. Scott McFadden was with Trammell Crow when that company developed the 500-unit Alexan apartments that sit on the southwest corner of the Broadway/Mississippi intersection. McFadden’s new company – Prospect –in conjunction with Las Vegas-based For Property Co., will build this latest residential project.

The 1000 S. Broadway apartments – sited between Broadway, Lincoln St., Tennessee and Mississippi avenues – will average about 925 square feet in 1, 2 and 3 bedroom layouts, and feature “maybe a little higher-end finishes” than Alexan, said McFadden. He expects to break ground in the coming weeks, with initial move-ins slated for spring 2013, and project completion later that year.

Just north of I-25, our friends at the Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver (IYCD), 770 S. Broadway, are celebrating their 11th year of helping yogis – from beginner to advanced – get maximum benefit from this ancient practice.

IYCD is rooted in the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and his daughter, Geeta Iyengar of Pune, India. Mr. Iyengar believes that yoga is for everyone, regardless of strength, flexibility, age or other perceived weaknesses, emphasizing the physical alignment of the body in the asanas (poses), creating a sense of balance and lightness that will be reflected in the mind in the form of inner awareness and equanimity.

Iyengar offers a six-class Basics Series; Levels 1, 2 & 3; Prenatal Yoga; Women’s classes; Restorative Yoga; classes for people with cancer and HIV/AIDS; seniors classes; meditation and more.

For information, call 720-570-9642 or visit iyengaryogacenter.com.