South Jefferson Lures With Beauty, Open Space
Published Apr 16, 2006
A variety of architectural styles can be found at the Ken Caryl Business Center.
In 1955, when Glenn L. Martin Co., now Lockheed Martin, picked a site outside Denver for building Titan defense missiles, the criteria was simple: isolation.
At the time, the outskirts of the southwest metro area fit the bill. No enemy submarine could possibly launch a missile with a range capable of reaching the secluded entrance to Waterton Canyon.
Lockheed Martin – now a leader in space exploration technology – still prefers the neighborhood, with its stunning rock formations, sweeping vistas and thickets of wildflowers. Many other companies also have discovered the beauty and convenience of the southwest metro area.
Take a look at the 300-acre Ken Caryl Business Center, a hub of corporate, retail and entrepreneurial activity with easy access off C-470 at South Kipling Parkway and Ken Caryl Avenue.
Designed in the 1970s, in part, by local businessman Dennis Carruth, the Ken Caryl Business Center was slow to gain momentum. The isolation once treasured by Lockheed Martin was not particularly attractive to other enterprises.
Perceptions changed dramatically in 1990, when C-470, the major beltway linking Interstate 25 on the south to Interstate 70 on the west, was completed. The Ken Caryl Business Center couldn’t have been more strategically located.
“Unfortunately, by then, the Denver market was completely overbuilt,” Carruth says. It didn’t take long, however, for the commercial property glut to recede.
“By the mid-1990s, we experienced somewhat of a renaissance,” Carruth says.
A decade later, the business park is highly prized for its picturesque setting, easy access and dynamic commercial mix.
“It’s a very diversified park,” Carruth says. “Very much in keeping with the original plan.”
The business park, he explains, was designed to mesh seamlessly with the surrounding Ken Caryl Ranch residential development, one of the Denver area’s most upscale and appealing neighborhoods.
“It’s a nice blending with the original premise of a place to live, work and play,” Carruth says.
Companies based at Ken Caryl Business Center include Apria Healthcare, Accutronics, Siemens, Johnson Controls, McCoy Sales, Applied Research, and Standard Sales, a Budweiser distributor.
Other amenities? A post office, Holiday Inn Express, numerous banks, restaurants, small retailers and major grocery stores. A Hampton Inn is under construction. In all, about 1.7 million square feet of commercial property has been developed.
Adding to the ambiance is a gated residential community that borders the semiprivate 18-hole Deer Creek Golf Course and clubhouse.
“The golf course is a beautiful asset to the business park,” Carruth says. “It’s a great place to entertain clients.”
Get set for more activity. Carruth is building another 100,000 square feet of commercial space. A 12-acre mixed-use development is in the feasibility stage. Two private developers are planning office condos fronting the golf course. And 10 additional acres are available for sale.
“It should be largely built out in three to four years,” Carruth says. The business park’s popularity has grown as traffic congestion increases along the I-25 corridor to the east. “It’s next to the foothills but still an easy drive to downtown. The location is hard to beat.”
Meanwhile, directly across C-470 is another South Jeffco lure – Jefferson Corporate Center. The 98-acre business park is owned and operated by Sunset Management Services. Located within the park are two 70,000-square-foot, three-story office buildings that provide corporate office space in this well-sought-after market. The views of the hogback are incredible from each building. The center also has 40 acres for additional build-to-suit projects and a Marriott TownePlace Suites.
Story by Jan Buchholz
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
Current Weather Conditions In Golden, CO (80401)
Partly Cloudy, and 34 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
