For years, a sign at University Boulevard and East First Avenue has promised that “something exciting is coming” to Cherry Creek West.
Now, as bulldozers and backhoes converge on the former site of Cherry Creek’s Bed Bath & Beyond, it appears the thing is happening.
Currently, the 13-acre plot of land is home to several freestanding buildings and vacant parking lots, a stark contrast to the dense and bustling blocks surrounding it. Developers plan to raze those buildings and build hundreds of thousands of square feet of housing, offices and retail space.
Demolition on the buildings where the original Elway’s, The Container Store and Macy’s furniture used to be started Thursday. The Bed Bath & Beyond building will serve as a construction headquarters. It won’t be demolished until 2029, after an initial phase of construction elsewhere is finished.
The first phase of construction will include 400 residences, 200,000 square feet of office and 50,000 square feet of retail. That’s expected to continue through summer 2029. A second phase could bring the total to 840 residences, 600,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail, and a 2,000-car underground parking garage.
Plans submitted to the city in 2024 said 12% of the site’s housing will be reserved for people making 60% of the area median income. That’s about $84,000 for a family of four.
The developers pledged to build open space, including easy access to the Cherry Creek Trail.
Denver City Council approved the development in late 2024, although plans have been in the works since 2021.
It isn’t the only construction site in the area. Just across the street from Cherry Creek West, a former Sears store has been demolished to make way for a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development.
