Cracked Oats
by Osman Parvez ---- Well, maybe not after all. It looks like the acquisition of Wild Oats by Whole Foods will be challenged because the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) believes it will reduce competition and quality and drive up prices. According to the Wall Street Journal, "In its investigation, the FTC uncovered evidence that Whole Foods saw the deal as a way simply to eliminate its main rival in dozens of cities, lawyers close to the case said." Sounds like someone at Whole Foods forwarded an email, doesn't it? I wrote about the proposed merger February and the post drew [...]
Boulder Development Map
by Osman Parvez ---- Although I planned to hike and camp this weekend, rain in the mountains and a leaky tent convinced us to cut the trip short. The good news is that the break allowed time to catch up on the latest Boulder real estate development projects. I rode around town on my bike, running errands and stopping by construction sites. The result is a custom Google map with photos highlighting projects. Green - Projects in some stage of the planning process. Purple - Projects underway. Blue - Complete or mostly complete projects. Click HERE to visit the new [...]
The Peloton Breaks Ground
by Osman Parvez ---- There's another giant construction crane in Boulder, but this one's not downtown. Development of the $150MM Peloton development at 33rd and Arapahoe is picking up steam. If you haven't noticed the massive crane, you can't miss the advertising carpet bombing. Our local NPR station is sponsored by the Peloton. City buses carry the slogan of a "new way to live in Boulder" and salespeople were chatting with potential buyers at the Boulder Creek Festival. Through a haze of hyperventilation and hallucinations, I'm pretty sure I even saw the Peloton's advertising while running the Bolder Boulder. The [...]
The Trinity Commons Project (Mapleton and Broadway)
by Osman Parvez ---- Here's an update on the planning process for a new 28 unit development in downtown Boulder. On April 5th the Planning Board recommended approval so it's time to pay a little more attention. Trinity Commons will be located on the corner of Mapleton and Broadway and consists of the following: * 14 affordable housing rental units to be retained by Trinity Lutheran Church; * A 3,900 sqft church function hall * 136 parking spaces; and * 14 unrestricted, for sale, 2-bedroom condominium apartments (all presold). Here's the update from Stuart Grogan, a planner with Boulder Housing [...]
Sunday Reading – 11/26/2006
by Osman Parvez I didn't have time to post last week's Sunday reading. Now there's quite a backlog. Here's three articles to get you started. I'll post more in the next few days. 1. Hybrid Cars. I was driving down Broadway the other day and found myself counting hybrids. From the Holiday Neighborhood to Table Mesa, I must have passed two dozen or more. I'm not kidding. Priuses, Civics, Escapes, Insights, and Accords. One after another, a parade of clean and green machines. You could say that next to Subaru Outbacks, hybrids have become ubiquitous in the People's Republic. If [...]
In Da Club?
by Osman Parvez I like the Peloton, I really do. But their latest marketing tactic is a bit of a gimmick. They're throwing in a Vespa scooter if you buy a condo on selection day (November 18th). They're also promising membership into their exclusive "Pinnacle Club," but again only if you buy a condo on selection day. Tell you what, forget about selection day. Buy one of their condos and use me as your agent, I'll throw in a free Vespa* too. I'll also give you membership into the Osman Club, which includes a decoder ring so you can dicipher [...]
$2 Billion Green Project in Aurora?
by Osman Parvez Welcome to the future of real estate. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting on a possible $2 billion dollar green project in Aurora. It's in early stages, but this massive project could one day encompass nearly 3,000 housing units, 1.7 million SQFT of retail, and 2.8 million SQFT of office space. With Renewable Choice handling wind power deals for companies like Whole Foods and Vail Resorts, plus many small and growing local firms focusing on solar and alternative energy products and services, our region seems focused on becoming a player renewable energy. From the article, The company [...]
Wanted: YOU
by Osman Parvez We're approaching the 1 year anniversary of this blog and I think it's time to expand this endeavor. If you're in a real estate related field in Colorado, consider this your invitation. Over the past few weeks I've interviewed potential partners to discuss the opportunity and would like to meet a few more. Real estate investors, insurance agents, lenders, appraisers, home inspectors, roofers, plumbers, analysts, or other real estate related professionals - if you enjoy writing and are interested in blogging as way to further your profession, please contact me. You can also call me directly at [...]
Big Boxes and Boulder
by Osman Parvez Another Big Box in Boulder? Well, probably not. A recent poll surveyed residents on a new "Big Box" retailer in Boulder. 35% of respondents (registered voters who live in or near Boulder) wanted another Big Box in Boulder while 48% opposed the idea. The survey came after Leo and Terry Palmos, the owners of property at 28th Street and Jay Road, indicated that they'd like to see their property annexed for a Big Box store. Last year, City Council asked planning staff to find sites for a big-box retailer within city limits as alternatives to the Palmos [...]
Bobos in Boulder
by Osman Parvez Here's an interesting post from a condo buyer in the Holiday Neighborhood, a New Urbanist development in North Boulder that has been progressing along nicely. He writes, "What I find interesting about the project is how it depends on a market demand for socially responsible policies. This isn't corporate social responsibility for its own sake. Nor is it top-down social engineering. The project is working because consumers want the product. (To be sure, some of the features may have been included to please local regulators. As you might imagine, it's not easy to build in Boulder.) Like [...]
Boulder’s Lucky Goats
by Osman Parvez In a move certain to disappoint developers, Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy is partnering with the city and county government in a $1.6MM deal to buy property off 63rd Street and Oxford Road. Jim Schott, the owner of the Goat dairy will buy 31 acres for $650,000 and move his farm there. The county and city open space departments split the $950,000 cost of buying the remaining 49 acres and will lease pasture access to Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. 800 Goats could be grazing on the land within a year. The business' cheeses are sold in Whole Foods [...]
Copper’s Hard Rocking Condotel
by Osman Parvez According to a press release, Condotels are still the rage at many destination resorts and it looks like Copper Mountain will be the site of a new one. The hotel would feature approximately 320 residences, a state-of-the-art spa, exterior hot tubs and a heated multi-level swimming pool with an outdoor bar. Owners and guests will experience a renowned signature restaurant, a lively apres ski bar in the heart of the hotel, a sophisticated nightlife offering and breathtaking mountain views. I'm not much of a fan of the Hard Rock brand, they are tacky Tourist Traps in my book. Plus, [...]
Louisville’s North End Development
by Osman Parvez The City of Louisville Planning Commission is meeting on March 9th and on the agenda is a new major mixed use development called the "North End" (see map below) This 74 Acre Project is located north of South Boulder road and east of Rt. 42. Boulder based Markel Homes looks to begin construction late this year on 492 Residential Units and 43,700 SQFT of Commercial Space. Residential units will include single family homes, row houses, and condos as well as dwellings above commercial Space. 25% of land will be donated to the city for a network of [...]
What does $200MM get you in Vail these days?
by Osman Parvez Apparently 120 rooms, 19 fractional units and 16 private residences. Four Seasons is breaking ground today on it's new $200MM development, scheduled to open in 2008. Meanwhile, Ritz Carlton is planning a 108 unit luxury condo development. These two developments in Vail are inline with the continued growth of demand for luxury property by wealthy baby boomers. Fractional ownership has also undergone a major makeover from its somewhat seedy reputation of the 80's and 90's, losing its negative connotations. It helps that they don't call it "fractional ownership" any longer. Pricing has not been announced. --- Like [...]
Development Issues: The Beltway Battle
by Osman Parvez The Issue: CDOT seeks a ~25 mile extension of the metro area beltway through Golden. Meanwhile local residents and other interested parties, have formed Citizens Involved in the Northwest Quadrant (CINQ) to oppose efforts to complete the beltway. The battle continues... Quoting from an article in today's RMN, "It's not enough," Tom Norton (CDOT's Chief) says, "for residents of the northwest quadrant to think only of how they get around their area. They need to consider how other drivers from outside have to pass through it." This quote lays bare the conundrum. Those living in the communities [...]
