A mostly vacant strip mall, a McDonald’s and parking lots near Regis University are set to transform into a mixed-use development called Regis Village. Denver City Council approved a sweeping rezoning for the project on Monday, opening the door for new multifamily housing, office space and storefronts.
Regis, the private Catholic university in North Denver, owns a 23.5-acre parcel of land on Federal Boulevard between 50th and 52nd avenues. The university has been looking to redevelop that land since at least 2018, when its master plan described a new community-oriented space.
The rezoning passed the council unanimously, which will allow the university to pursue a variety of building uses and heights. The new zoning allows the construction of buildings up to 70 feet tall, or up to 95 feet tall if they meet certain requirements.
At the rezoning hearing on Monday evening, supporters included local business owners, nearby residents, students and more.
“To transform an underutilized parcel that previously provided Regis University with significant lease revenue into a community-driven mixed-use neighborhood development that will help us support and sustain scholarships and financial aid for our students well into the future,” said Father Scott Hendrickson, the interim president of Regis.
It’s not clear when the project could begin construction.
The Regis Village project didn’t get universal praise, however. Members of Berkeley Regis United Neighbors, the local registered neighborhood organization, said they wished the rezoning application included more detailed plans about what the university plans to build.
BRUN wants the project to include enough housing, it said in a letter.
“Much of the site could be taken up by a hospital and other University administrative uses with little space dedicated to housing,” BRUN said in a letter to City Council on Dec. 4. The letter does not state whether the group is opposing or approving of the project.
City planner Tony Lechuga noted that it would be unusual for Regis to have included specific construction plans in a rezoning application. Rezoning is a process to change the rules for what can generally be built on a parcel.
City Council also passed a separate rezoning for the rest of the Regis campus, which brings it up-to-date with the city’s current zoning laws.
Regis Village will replace a mostly underutilized eastern section of the university’s property.
Currently, much of the land in question is occupied by a strip mall called Regis Square, which is home to the university’s bookstore, other campus offices, a laundromat, a Thai restaurant and more.
To the south of Regis Square, there’s a McDonald’s, an athletic field and a parking lot.
The university said existing businesses will be given priority in finding new locations within Regis Village or nearby.
While the university doesn’t have any concrete plans for the site, it said it will “likely include residential, office and retail uses” and is considering both affordable and senior housing.
There is no timeline for the redevelopment yet. The university’s website says after the rezoning, it will complete a site development plan and continue engaging with community members to develop plans for the site.
