Denver could see buildings as tall as eight floors rise out an industrial area near the National Western Center after City Council approved a rezoning Monday.
Council voted unanimously Monday to rezone a 17-acre site near the 4000-4200 blocks of Brighton Boulevard. The change could lead to the development of hundreds of residential units in Elyria-Swansea as the area continues to develop, according to Westfield Company Inc.
Westfield put forth the application to increase the maximum height of the roughly 14-acre area northeast of Brighton Boulevard by three stories, to a total of eight. The site is near the 38th and Blake Station.
The Denver-based developer also proposed changing the zoning on the northwest side of Brighton. The roughly 3-acre site didn't have a height cap per se, but city code only allowed light industrial buildings with a floor area ratio of 2.0 or less. (That means if a developer had a 10,000 square foot lot, then, in theory, they could have a one-story 5,000-square-foot building, a two-story 2,500-square-foot building or a three-story 1,666-square-foot building.)
It's unclear what ultimately will be built on the Brighton sites between 40th and 44th streets. Westfield partner, Kevin McClintock, told City Council that the nonprofit Artspace is considering building 100 to 150 residential units in the area. Another 200 to 300 units also could be located there, in addition to office and retail space, McClintock said.
Westfield dropped roughly $8 million in 2014 and 2016 for the properties it rezoned Monday. The Denver-based developer purchased 4000 and 4020 Brighton Blvd. for $2.3 million in July 2014; 4201 Brighton Blvd. for $5.4 million in January 2016; and 4120 Brighton Blvd. for $1 million in April 2016.
Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
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