Changes underway as Broomfield plans renewal

Properties being transformed into mixed-use developments off of U.S. 36

Face-lifts are in the works for Flatiron Crossing and Flatiron Marketplace, Broomfield developments along U. S. 36.

Flatiron Crossing shopping mall at 1 W. Flatiron Crossing Drive and Flatiron Marketplace at 231 E. Flatiron Crossing Drive are neighbors with the same idea in mind: transforming the properties into mixed-use developments.

If plans pan out, the mall will expand to offer more than shopping, with offices, residences and a hotel.

Flatiron Marketplace also would welcome tenants and customers with a revamped experience, offering ground-floor retail space and apartments.

The respective developers have made moves this year to turn their proposals into reality. Broomfield’s Land Use Review Commission heard from real estate investment trust company Macerich about its site development plan for Flatiron Crossing on March 13 and from real estate agency Provident Realty Advisor about its site development plan for Flatiron Marketplace on March 27.

Both the development application for Flatiron Crossing and the second phase of development for Flatiron Marketplace received approval.

“This is adding additional opportunities for the businesses in the area,” Anna Bertanzetti, Broomfield’s planning director, said. “We know that this will help to encourage new tenants” in Broomfield.

Flatiron Crossing

Macerich plans to revamp FlatIron Crossing by turning it into a mixed-use development, with one to three office projects, one to three multifamily residential developments and a hotel.

It also aims to include two to four sites for restaurants, along with space for retail and parking, according to its development proposal with the city and county.

Some of the buildings are expected to include five to six stories.

With more than 200 retail options at the mall, some of the long- standing businesses will remain, including movie theater AMC Flatiron Crossing 14 at 61 W. Flatiron Crossing Drive, restaurant Red Robin at 1 W. Flatiron Circle and restaurant P.F. Chang’s at 1 W. Flatiron Crossing Drive.

A former department store turned office building is already available for tenants, with space up to 200,000 square feet and more than 2,000 parking spaces nearby, according to the Flatiron Crossing website.

The first phase, which involves the mall village, will encompass 24 acres, spanning the area north of the movie theater and south of the indoor mall. Changes will include realigning the area’s roads, adjusting the southern entrance for a traffic circle, modifying two existing buildings and adding an outdoor pavilion, as well as new food and beverage offerings.

Construction is expected to take place this year, with an anticipated opening date for the redevelopment late next year.

“I think this is the start of something good at Flatiron Crossing,” Bertanzetti said. She called it “a huge reinvestment in their facility.”

Her team started working with the developer before the pandemic.

The next phase of construction likely will involve a residential development, she added.

Macerich is committed to building a 2-acre park. Once progress on the housing aspect is underway, the developer is mandated to provide income-aligned housing on site, with 20% of its units offered at 80% of the area’s median income.

Bertanzetti described one of their community goals as “inclusionary housing,” which can ultimately benefit Broomfield’s workforce.

“These projects do work toward that goal,” she said. “They have levels of affordability.”

A spokesperson for Macerich didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Flatiron Marketplace

Across the street, Flatiron Marketplace — described as a “former big-box retail site” by architecture firm JHP — is also in the process of transforming into a mixeduse space, with ground-floor retail and apartments on top.

Before its current iteration as Flatiron Marketplace, a number of retailers operated on the property, including Best Buy and The Great Indoors — a now-dead chain of home decor stores by Sears. Then, the site sat vacant for a while, Bertanzetti said.

The project’s first phase of construction, which started in 2019, consisted of more than 325 units across almost 6 acres. Bertanzetti highlighted the project as “a significant redevelopment effort,” as the original buildings were razed and replaced.

With its second phase now approved, Provident Realty Advisor plans to focus on a 4.5-acre area to build two five-story buildings, according to its development proposal with the city and county.

They’ll feature 350 more residential units — studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments — and 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, with surface parking and a parking garage.

The buildings will connect on the third and fourth floors through a sky bridge. They will share a pool and other spaces.

A third phase of construction is anticipated before the project is finished.

A spokesperson for Provident Realty Advisor didn’t respond to requests for comment.