Colorado company will develop former Loretto Heights campus
A Colorado company has been picked to develop the storied Colorado Heights University campus, a visible landmark in southwest Denver that has brought out the protective instincts of its neighbors.
Glendale-based Westside Investment Partners Inc. reached an agreement to buy the 75-acre parcel from Colorado Heights University and become the site’s master developer.
Westside was picked after Californiabased Catellus Development Corp. failed to reach an agreement with the university last month.
Westside hopes to close the deal by late July.
Fred Van Liew, the president of Colorado Heights University, said Westside is ideally suited for the project of recasting the former Loretto Heights campus while still keeping its historical features.
The campus was first developed in 1891 by the Sisters of Loretto as Loretto Heights Academy, a Catholic elementary and secondary schools for girls.
The campus’ most prominent structure is a red-hued, five-story administration building that sits on a hilltop overlooking Federal Boulevard.
A cemetery, where 62 nuns who used to teach and work at Loretto Heights are buried, also is located on campus.
Neighbors and campus officials were adamant that both the administration building and cemetery be preserved.
Westside is committed to keeping both intact, officials said.
“We worked hard to identify developers that were capable and committed to engaging the community while also protecting the heritage of the campus,” Liew said.
He credited Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn for working with neighbors to come up with their own ideas for the campus development.
“Westside is just the right team — with their extensive local résumé and their commitment to inclusive development,” Liew said.
As the master developer, Westside
will sell parcels to developers.
It plans a high-density resident development — including apartments and single-family housing — and commercial development, which will require a rezoning request.
“Westside is genuinely honored and fully committed to protecting the heritage and true value of the campus as we look to enhance the existing neighborhoods and provide additional amenities to serve our neighbors,” Westside principal Andrew Klein said. “We are anxious to work with neighbors, local leaders and the city to envision how the campus can transform and activate in a way that truly represents the best for southwest Denver.”
Westside has invested in and developed large projects throughout the region, including High Point, a 1,200-acre community adjacent to the new Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora; Victory Ridge, north of Colorado Springs and soon-to-be home of Colorado’s first In-N-Out Burger; and Elevate, a 20-story office building in Glendale.
In community meetings, neighbors said they wanted to see restaurants, an art museum, a communal gathering place, affordable housing, a park, a theater and artist lofts on campus.
Flynn, who has organized several meetings with neighbors over the status of the campus, said Westside seems to understand the desires of the community.
“My initial meeting with the Westside team tells me that they get it,” Flynn said. “They’re local and they know the site, so I’m looking forward to introducing them to my community stakeholders and neighborhoods.”
In 1948, Loretto Heights phased out its elementary and secondary programs and became Loretto Heights College, a fouryear school for women.
Colorado Heights University opened in 2009 and specialized in international business and English courses.
The owner of the college, Teikyo University Group, announced the school’s closure in November 2016, due in part to declining enrollment. About 500 students were enrolled at the time.