Midtown at Clear Creek
Denver, CO | 2006 - 2013
RES principals, through their legacy firms Brownfield Partners and EFG, partnered with local developers Carma Colorado and Brookfield Residential to redevelop a former aerospace manufacturing site in suburban Denver into one of the region’s most recognized examples of sustainable urban redevelopment.
The almost 200 acre property, once home to a Hamilton Sundstrand (a United Technologies Corporation [UTC] company) aerospace manufacturing facility, presented a complex challenge. Negotiations between the local developers and UTC had stalled over environmental and risk-management concerns. Developers were unwilling to take title to the manufacturing facility property because of its environmental condition, and UTC would not sell 100+ acres of adjacent vacant land separately from the facility property.
To facilitate the transaction, we acquired the manufacturing facility property, a RCRA-regulated site that was the source of contamination, allowing the sale of the adjacent land to local developers to move forward. Our team managed the asbestos abatement, hazardous materials characterization and removal, and demolition of over 400,000 square feet of manufacturing buildings. Acting as Owner’s Representative for Brookfield, we also oversaw UTC’s cleanup contractors, ensuring all remediation activities met regulatory, insurance, and stewardship standards.
Working closely with all stakeholders, including state and local agencies, we ensured that the cleanup planning and implementation was coordinated with development planning, so that the integrity of the cleanup was maintained throughout construction, paving the way for a successful redevelopment that balanced environmental responsibility with community growth.
Today, the former Hamilton Sundstrand facility site is home to Midtown at Clear Creek, a vibrant 180-acre mixed-use community featuring 1,200 homes, neighborhood-scale retail, and miles of trails and open space. What was once an industrial property now stands as a model for how strategic remediation and collaboration can create lasting environmental impact and economic value.