Construction Starts on Black Hawk Casino Hotel/CU Leeds Building Expansion Begins/Littleton Station Project Under Way

The recently renovated and expanded Ameristar Casino Black Hawk will grow even more with the addition of a 33-story luxury hotel now under construction. When it opens in mid-2008, the hotel will feature Black Hawk's only swimming pool and indoor and outdoor spas, set within an open-air terrazzo on the top floor.

33-Story Casino Hotel Under Way in Black Hawk

Work began in May on a 33-story, 536-room luxury hotel for Ameristar Casinos in Black Hawk, with completion slated for mid-2008.

Company officials announced plans for the $180 million project in early April at the public debut of the newly renovated and expanded gaming facility. The total capital investment is pegged at $380 million.

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Greeley is the general contractor for the new hotel, designed by Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo of Los Angeles; St. Louis's Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets Inc. is the architect-of-record.

The interior design team includes Los Angeles-based Wilson and Associates, responsible for the hotel lobby, meeting rooms, hospitality suites, events center and ballroom, hotel rooms and suites; and Hatch Design Group of Costa Mesa, Calif., which is handling the restaurants.

The new hotel will feature Black Hawk's only swimming pool and indoor and outdoor spas set within an open-air terrazzo on the top floor. Operable glass walls on two sides can be closed during winter months to preserve the mountain views. The Craftsman-inspired design incorporates 14-ft-tall glass doors and transoms at the pool deck perimeter.

Pinkard Completes Culinary School

Lakewood-based Pinkard Construction Co. completed the Adams 12 Culinary Arts Program, a full-service commercial instructional kitchen designed for career training in all phases of the food and beverage industry.

The $1.7 million, 12,000-sq-ft renovation - designed by OZ Architecture in Denver - took place on a portion of an existing school district office on East 128th Avenue in Thornton. The project involved selective demolition, extensive mechanical work, procurement and installation of all kitchen equipment, interior build-out and construction of a new structural steel and masonry vestibule.

$33M Renovation, Expansion of CU Bus. School Under Way

After several years of funding delays, the increasingly crowded building that houses the University of Colorado at Boulder's Leeds School of Business is now undergoing a year-long $33.3 million renovation and expansion project.

The work will include asbestos abatement; a 50,000-sq-ft renovation; sprinkler and HVAC upgrades to the entire building; a 63,150-sq-ft structural steel-and-stone veneer addition; and significant site upgrades to the business quad greenbelt on the west side of the site. The addition includes classrooms, dining facilities and an atrium with limestone pavers and a copper-clad dome.

Pinkard Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project. The architects are Davis Partnership PC in Denver and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. Engineers include Martin/Martin., Shaffer-Baucom Engineering & Consulting, Hefferan Partnership Inc., Sparling Inc. and Thomas Ricca Associates.

Construction and renovation of the building began in May; the building is scheduled to reopen for classes in fall 2007.

$90.5M DAM Expansion Will Open to Public on Oct. 7

Berlin architect Daniel Libeskind's first building in the United States will open to the public on Oct. 7.

That will be the official opening day for the Denver Art Museum's new complex, highlighted by the new $90.5 million Frederic C. Hamilton Building, designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and Denver's Davis Partnership.

The 146,000-sq-ft addition will feature nearly 50,000 sq ft of new gallery space, including three traveling exhibition venues, art storage and a 285-seat auditorium. The complex, consisting of the Hamilton and North buildings, will total 350,000 sq ft and allow space for several collections that have never been on permanent display. Other new features include a parking garage, plaza and the adjacent Museum Residences, also a joint venture between Studio Daniel Libeskind and Davis Partnership.

The opening of the Hamilton building is the pinnacle point in the project's seven-year course that began in 1999 when Denver voters passed the $62.5 million bond initiative to support the $90.5 million expansion. The opening weekend will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Gio Ponti-designed North Building, which opened its doors on Oct. 3, 1971.

Denver's M.A. Mortenson is the general contractor for the expansion project.

Tower One Working on Fairmount Elementary

Tower One Construction is working on an addition and remodeling project at Fairmount Elementary School in Golden.

The $5.1 million project for the Jefferson County School District includes partial demolition of the existing school and three additions totaling 26,000 sq ft. New features include a kitchen, gymnasium, eight classrooms, a parking lot, and a fire sprinkler system in the existing building.

The architect is Root Rosenman Architects, with Rik Plass serving as project architect. Tower One's team includes Frank Hall, project manager; and Mike Morrow, superintendent. Work is scheduled for completion in March 2007.

Construction Starts on $10M Littleton Station

Construction is under way on Littleton Station, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development located just east of downtown Littleton at the RTD light rail station at 1950 W. Littleton Blvd. Completion of Littleton's first TOD is scheduled for early 2007.

The $10 million project was designed by the Denver office of OZ Architecture. W.E. O'Neil Construction Co. of Golden is the general contractor. Other key players include Monroe & Newell Engineers Inc. and Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers Inc. The project developer is Littleton Capital Partners.

Littleton Station will feature a five-level, 32,800-sq-ft main building that includes 11,500 sq ft of grade-level commercial condominiums, an underground parking garage with spaces for more than 42 vehicles and three levels of condominiums totaling 21 units. A row of 12 multi-level townhomes will be located directly behind the main building.

Ground Broken on $17M Ballpark District Project

MacKenzie House LLC and Kentwood City Properties broke ground in April on a site that will be home to 29 three-story urban townhomes in Denver's Ballpark Historic District. 24 Walnut - located at 24th and Walnut streets - is a $17 million project designed by JG Johnson Architects. MacKenzie House is the contractor.

Each two- or three-bedroom unit will come standard with elevators, rooftop decks, attached garages, staircases with light shafts penetrating all three levels of living space, and at least two walls of large windows. Five designs are available, ranging from 1,425 to 2,340 sq ft.

Completion is expected in early 2007.

Colarelli Completes Vet Clinic in Colorado Springs

Colarelli Construction completed construction of the new 18,000-sq-ft Veterinary Specialty Center at 5520 N. Nevada in Colorado Springs.

James W. Nakai and Associates was the architect for the project. Other design team members included Bobby Hill Designs, Dara Mattingly and Ellen Jeffers.

J.E. Dunn Begins Work on Three Falcon Schools

J.E. Dunn Construction broke ground this spring on the $1.4 million Springs Ranch Elementary School expansion, one of three projects the general contractor is handling for Falcon School District 49.

At Springs Ranch, 11,000 sq ft are being added to the school, which will create 10 classrooms to accommodate 250 students.

Work is also set to begin on a 38,500-sq-ft, $5 million addition for Skyview Middle School that will accommodate up to 300 additional students. The $800,000 Falcon High School conversion will add four classrooms and an additional 5,000 sq ft so the facility can serve as the new Falcon Middle School.

All three projects are part of the $80.5 million mill levy approved by voters last year to support construction and building projects throughout Falcon School District 49.

Work Begins on Observatory Place

Construction started this spring on Observatory Place, a new 75-unit luxury condominium development. The project is located on the site of the former Rocky Mountain United Methodist Church administration offices at South University and East Evans in south Denver.

DesignEdge in Denver is the architect for the project, under development by Allen Anderson and Dan McCoy of Observatory Place LLC. Shaw Builders LLC is the contractor.

The five-story building will sit atop a private underground parking structure. The structural steel and masonry structure is designed to reflect the architectural beauty of the DU campus.

Observatory Place is scheduled for completion in August 2007.

Denver Finishes MLK Boulevard Improvements

Denver Parks and Recreation and Denver's Office of Cultural Affairs, along with Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth and Councilman Michael Hancock, celebrated the completion of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard improvement project in late April.

The $1.8 million median-improvement project, funded in part through the 1998 Neighborhood Bond Program, includes such improvements as sandstone neighborhood monuments, decorative raised planters filled with perennials and low shrubs and tree plantings.

Improvements stretch 2.1 miles from Colorado Boulevard to Quebec Street.

The project also includes a public art component - a series of 26 bronze medallions placed on each median planter. The medallions are a bas-relief image of King created by local artist Li Hardison.

Work Begins on $26M Renovation of Park Hyatt at Beaver Creek

GE Johnson Construction Co. of Colorado Springs broke ground this spring on a $26 million renovation project at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa.

The work includes interior room and spa renovations, relocation of the electrical room and the addition of air conditioning to all guest rooms.

The project owner is East West Partners; the architect is Hornberger+Worstell of San Francisco.

Drahota Will Build New Eheart Facility in Johnstown

Drahota started construction in April on a new building for Eheart Flooring and Design.

Located at the new 2534 development in Johnstown, the two-story commercial building will be approximately 30,000 sq ft and include a showroom, offices and a warehouse. It will also feature a specialty builder center on the second floor, where builders' buyers can meet with designers to review design options.

The building was designed by Vaught Frye Architects of Fort Collins.

J.E. Dunn Picked to Build Centers for Healthy Living at Stapleton

J.E. Dunn Construction was awarded the tenant build-out for the University of Colorado Hospital's Centers for Healthy Living at Stapleton.

The contractor is currently working on the $4.5 million medical office building that will house the Centers of Healthy Living, which will occupy most of the first floor of the 47,715-sq-ft, two-story facility.

The facility, located at the intersection of Quebec and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will be the first medical office building on the Stapleton campus. Scheduled for completion in October, the project will be a model for buildings and building practices for Forest City Stapleton.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Set for Today on Teller County's PPRMC

The Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center Association & Foundationh held an official groundbreaking ceremony in April for Teller County's new regional hospital.

The new hospital will be built 1.5 miles west of Woodland Park on the south side of Highway 24. In preparation for facility construction, work on the site's infrastructure - including sewer and water improvements under Trout Creek - began in 2002.

JE Dunn Construction is the contractor for the $20 million, 8,000-sq-ft facility, designed by Architectural Nexus.

Fentress Bradburn Designs $430M RDU Project

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in late March to mark the start of general construction on the $430 million redevelopment of Terminal C at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina.

Denver's Fentress Bradburn Architects, with associate architects O'Brien/Atkins Associates PA and The Freelon Group Inc., designed the project for the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. Archer Western Contractors of Atlanta was awarded the general contract for $257.6 million. Their work will begin this spring on the new north concourse and processor building.

Work Begins on The Gates at Beaver Creek

CFC Construction in Golden has started construction on The Gates at Beaver Creek.

The $27.5 million project consists of a six-story steel structure that will feature 49 luxury condominiums, parking and a first-floor common area. Ivins Design Group is the architect. The owner is JMJ Development.

Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2007.

Estes Park Medical Center Expansion Begins

GE Johnson Construction Co. began work in April on the first phase of the Estes Park Medical Center expansion, designed by Prochaska & Associates.

The project will add new space for patient rooms, a surgical suite, the physical medicine and rehabilitation department and the Family Medical Clinic, as well as a combined admissions and the business office. The facility's layout will also be improved to provide privacy and a secure, patient-friendly environment.

Completion is set for fall 2007.

Gambro Named Anchor Tenant of Aardex's Signature Centre

Gambro will be the anchor tenant for Aardex Corp.'s Signature Centre, which will become the first new Class A office space on Denver's west side since the 1990s.

Groundbreaking for the five-story, 183,000-sq-ft structure took place earlier this year. Plans call for the building to open for business in the first quarter of 2007.

Aardex, which published "User Effective® Buildings" in 2004, a methodology that champions worker productivity in the workplace, will also relocate its headquarters into the Signature Centre.

LEED gold certification will be sought for the $45 million building, designed by Binh Vinh, an Aardex principal and vice president of design.

Himmelman Begins Work on Lincoln Academy Charter School

Himmelman Construction started construction this spring on the $1.3 million Lincoln Academy Charter School for the Jefferson County School District.

The 8,000-sq-ft building is a design-build project between Himmelman and Yon Tanner Architects.

Himmelman has also recently finished the core-and-shell of the Piazza DeCarlo office building in Lakewood.

White Construction Breaks Ground on Brighton Animal Clinic Addition

White Construction Group held a groundbreaking ceremony in April at the Brighton Animal Clinic on Wednesday to celebrate the start of work on Play! Stay! & More, a 9,000-sq-ft pet day care addition to the existing 4,000-sq-ft clinic.

This addition, created by Animal Arts/Gates Hafen Cochrane of Boulder, will feature a day care, boarding, grooming and retail center for dogs and cats. The project is expected to finish in October.

Hensel Phelps, Fentress Bradburn Reteam for $24M San Jose Project

Ground was broken in April on the new 80,000-sq-ft San Jose Central Service Yard, the 18th design-build project by Hensel Phelps Construction Co. and Fentress Bradburn Architects.

The project - targeting a silver LEED rating - involves the construction of a shop and maintenance building, fleet maintenance building, vehicle-wash building, new fence and interior alterations to an existing building on a 22-acre site in San Jose, Calif.

Palace Will Participate in Habitat For Humanity Homebuilding 'Blitz'

Palace Construction will build one of 15 homes at Tollgate Crossing in Aurora - in only seven days - as part of Habitat for Humanity's "Home Builders Blitz 2006."

The Aurora homes will be among 500 houses throughout the country that will be constructed during the week-long event, set for June 3-9.

Palace Construction is the only Denver-area commercial general contractor building a home; the other 14 houses will be constructed by home builders.

A&P Breaks Ground on Two Schools in Roaring Forks District

Aurora-based Adolfson & Peterson Construction has started construction on two projects for the Roaring Forks School District - the new Roaring Forks High and the expansion of Crystal River Elementary.

The high school and elementary school are the first two phases of a five-phase project.

Roaring Forks High School is a 90,000-sq-ft facility scheduled for completion in July 2007.

The Crystal River Elementary School project consists of a 60,000-sq-ft addition. It's expected to finish in December 2006.

Brinkmann Begins Construction on Home Depot at Gateway Park

Brinkmann Constructors of Colorado has begun construction of its fourth Colorado Home Depot store.

The 13-acre project, located at the Gateway Park retail development in Aurora, includes construction of a 130,000-sq-ft building and garden center along with adjacent site improvements - most notably, the construction of two new streets, Waco Way and Salida Place.

Project turnover is scheduled for late July.

Click here for past News >>