Development’s bedrock will be Origin Red Rocks
The boutique hotel, set to begin construction in 2017, has its eyes on I-70 visitors.
A boutique hotel targeting Red Rocks concertgoers is scheduled to begin construction early next year just off the Interstate 70 exit that serves the iconic music venue.
The 123-room Origin Red Rocks will help anchor the 22-acre Gateway Village development on U.S. 40 in Golden, north of the I-70 Morrison exit. The site is also home to the new Avalanche Harley-Davidson dealership currently under construction.
A full-service hotel, Origin should open in time for Red Rocks’ 2018 concert season, said Walker Thrash, partner with Golden Hotel Group LLC, the Mississippi-based company developing the hotel.
“The Origin Red Rocks is the first in our Origin Hotel Collection,” Thrash said. “It’s an experience-driven concept and the proximity of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a natural attraction for our target market.”
A restaurant, bar and event space are among the hotel’s proposed amenities. Shuttle service will be provided to and from Red Rocks, as well as the W Line lightrail station at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.
“From the get-go, we thought it would be a great site for a hotel because of its location to Red Rocks and Bandimere raceway. Both of those are large draws,” said Don Marcotte, director of development for Northstar Commercial Partners, which is developing Gateway Village. “A person could land at DIA and take the train to the Golden stop and in very short order, make it to the hotel.”
The four-story independent hotel is being designed by Denver-based Tryba Architects. The Golden Planning Commission approved the project’s site development plan Dec. 7, the final step in the public entitlement process, said Steve Glueck, the city’s community and economic development director.
The plan, Thrash said, is for the Red Rocks hotel to be the first of many Origin-branded properties nationwide. Four will break ground in 2017, and the company has already identified another site in the Denver metro area.
“Origin Red Rocks will be a fun and casual full-service hotel,” Thrash said. “Our team will search daily for interesting local experiences to share with our guests.”
For Gateway Village, getting a boutique hotel on board was “the catalyst for a lot of the interest in the project,” said Heather Taylor, broker/partner at NavPoint Real Estate Group, which is handing the retail leasing.
About 15,000 square feet of strip retail will house several tenants, with interest coming from quick-service restaurants, fitness groups and a brewery, she said. Another pad on the site is under contract with a gas station and convenience store.
“We’re thrilled to help lead the way on something as innovative and exciting as this new boutique hotel space. Red Rocks is synonymous with Colorado and holds a special place in all of our hearts,” Northstar founder and CEO Brian Watson said in an e-mail. “As local neighbors, we’re honored to be a part of bringing additional jobs and opportunity to this area for many people, as well as to help create a place that will allow folks to stay near and enjoy the Red Rocks experience all the more.”