Grand Park a Bright Spot in the Real Estate Community
5/18/2009
Source: Grand ParkAuthor: Kirsten Laraby
If you search “construction at a standstill” on Google, over 650,000 results appear. When the real estate industry is being hit hard by the recession, one bright spot is the progress of a developer with over 1,700 acres in Winter Park, Colorado. The new master-planned community of Grand Park is completing its first building in The Village at Grand Park and securing new tenants. The General Store will soon open with an organic market, an espresso cafe and the company’s new real estate preview center. Grand Park will also rent the offices on the second floor to a variety of businesses including another real estate office and an insurance firm.
Next to the General Store, the community recreation center is set to open in December. The much-anticipated public facility will be approximately 48,000 square feet and include a lap pool, water slide, tot pool, gymnasium, walking/running track, and cardio and weight rooms. Grand Park donated the land for the recreation center, which is located at the north end of the Village.
“It’s encouraging to see a large developer moving forward and having success in this economic climate,” said Dan Cheek, president and owner of Century 21-Winter Park Real Estate. " I think much of it stems from the location since Winter Park is an emerging market, but it's also due in part to the (financial stamina and) long-term vision of the developer," Cheek added.
The Village at Grand Park will consist of approximately 230 residential units, 300 lodging units and 140,000 square feet of office and retail space upon completion. The Village lies at the southeast end of a 100-acre open space meadow and is approximately 30 acres or 10 city blocks. Grand Park’s Village is conceived as a “main street” pedestrian-oriented concept with broad 20-foot sidewalks and views of the Continental Divide and Winter Park Resort ski area. The retail mix will focus on entertainment, specialty shops, and food and beverage venues.
The Village is envisioned as the gathering place for Fraser Valley visitors and residents. The architecture draws on the great mountain towns of the 1800s—traditional window patterns, dormers and gable ends, and a rich palette of indigenous materials including stone, brick, metal and wood.
Clark Lipscomb, Grand Park President says, “New architectural plans for the next phase of buildings in The Village at Grand Park are in the initial stages of design.” He added, “We’ve had a great deal of interest from businesses eager to be part of a pedestrian village, but are smaller than we originally planned.” The developers at Grand Park are trying to accommodate these requests with new plans that are built-to-suit for the individual owners.
Grand Park’s community planners are also working on bringing new residential product to the market. Grand Park’s current homes range from 2,300 to 3,300 square feet. The new home plans will be smaller, starting at approximately 1,200 square feet featuring main floor master bedrooms and open living areas designed to take in the views of the alpine meadow and the Continental Divide.
“In one week, nearly half of our visitors asked to see a smaller home with a master on the main,” said Kirsten Laraby, Grand Park Marketing Director. “With 25 home sites remaining, we will be able to easily add that option and continue to meet the needs of our clients,” Laraby said.
This summer Grand Park plans to landscape The Village and continue its extensive forestry program to restore the health of the forest by removing the trees damaged by pine beetle and revegetating the land throughout the community.
For more information, please contact Grand Park at 970-726-8700 or klaraby@grandparkco.com.
