Townhomes set for Marycrest site

John Rebchook, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 4, 2007 at midnight

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

Denver developers Susan Powers and Chuck Perry are teaming up for the first time, with plans to turn 21 acres near Regis University into a project featuring factory-built townhomes.

The two worked together at the Denver Urban Renewal Authority for years before starting their own private development companies. They hope to develop most of the 26-acre Marycrest Campus at West 52nd Avenue and Federal Boulevard. An order of Catholic nuns has owned the land for almost 70 years.

Powers, principal of Urban Ventures, and Perry, a principal of Perry-Rose, have hired San Francisco-area architect Michelle Kaufmann to design energy-efficient, modular townhomes.

The two-story townhomes, which would range in size from about 1,100 to 1,500 square feet, would be built in an All American Homes factory in Milliken and put together on the site, greatly reducing the cost and time of construction. Prices and the development schedule have not been set.

Powers said the townhomes "are not mobile homes" and would be indistinguishable from traditional on-site "stick-built" townhomes.

Powers said landing Kaufman was a coup. The architect is best known for her energy-efficient and affordable Glidehouse design in California. This will be her first Colorado development.

The team also will be exploring solar and geothermal power for the development, as well as co-housing, Powers said.

The land the partners have under contract was acquired by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1938 to serve as the order's provincial headquarters.

Perry-Rose's other principal is New York-based Jonathan Rose, who developed the 30-acre, $105 million Highlands' Garden Village in northwest Denver.

Before starting Urban Ventures, Powers was the executive director at DURA and hired Perry in the late 1980s. At DURA, Perry spearheaded the redevelopment of the historic Denver Dry. The commercial portion of the Denver Dry now is owned by Rose and Perry.

"We have a lot of the same value connections with those guys; we care about the same kind of urban, sustainable developments," Powers said. "We've talked about finding something to do together for years, so when this opportunity came up, Jonathan and Chuck were the first ones I called."

'Not mobile homes'

• Who: Developers Susan Powers and Chuck Perry

• What: Two-story, factory-built, energy-efficient, modular town-homes ranging from 1,100 to 1,500 square feet. They will be built in an All American Homes factory in Milliken and put together on the site to reduce construction cost and time.

• Where: 21 acres near Regis University, West 52nd Avenue and Federal Boulevard

• Architect: Michelle Kaufmann

rebchook@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207.

Featured

• State of the State

  

  Get live updates from Ritter's State of the State address today.

• Rocky multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Who's next?

  

  Complete coverage of the Broncos' search for a new coach.

• Rocky year in photos

  

  View an audio slide show of staff selections from 2008.

• Winter Escapes

  

  Your insider’s guide to the copious joys of the coolest season.

• Sam Adams' Open Mic

  

  Open Mic: Two-man advantage with Avs

• Shanahan's career

  

  See photos from Mike Shanahan's career as Broncos coach.

• 12 days of Drew

  

  Look back at the year that has been with Drew Litton.

• A dream fulfilled

  

  A Rocky Mountain News and MediaStorm production