by Osman Parvez

It’s been awhile since I posted links.

Here are a few recent real estate and development related stories that are worth checking out (some articles may require registration).

Bad luck be damned, 29th Street’s Grand Opening is Friday, October 13th. The Wild Oats store won’t be ready but 88% of the mall is leased, according to developers.

Louisville is moving closer to creating an urban renewal area along CO42, with the planning commission voting 5-1 to move the proposal forward. The future Fasttracks stop located in the same area is helping provide momentum.

Noodles and Company have moved their HQ to Broomfield.

Through a sale/leaseback, local biotech Array BioPharma is getting an additional $32MM in capital. I’m happy to report they are staying in Boulder.

Less common in Boulder, Scrape Offs are popular in Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Cory-Merrill and University Park neighborhoods of Denver.

Home sales in Denver are presenting an interesting market pattern. High end homes are fetching record amounts and average prices have increased more than expected even as inventory rises and foreclosures mount.

Development in Boulder is continuing at a strong pace and some builders have plans for neighborhood icons, including the First Christian church on 28th street which is slated to become a condo building. The article does a good job of explaining the issues at play.

A new proposal could cut out Erie from benefiting from a rail station being planned for Longmont. This is one of two new stations for Longmont, one of which is part of Fastracks pointing toward Boulder. The other is a commuter rail line running along I-25.

Of course, the ongoing foreclosure situation in Colorado deserves attention. For the 6th month in a row, Colorado has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation. With 1 in every 280 occupied homes in some state of foreclosure, we clearly have an epidemic. Some areas are affected more than others and Boulder remains relatively unscathed.

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