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June 2021 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 83 F rom the corner of context and community, to be catalytic real estate development must weave the threads of place, purpose, people and perspective into a cohesive whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Denver-based real estate enterprise Zocalo Community De- velopment manages the process from concept to comple- tion and beyond through in-house expertise in planning, construction, leasing and property management. “At Zocalo, our goal is to use real estate to help create community, not just buildings,” says David Zucker, who co-founded Zocalo in 2005. Today, as the chief executive officer, Zucker summarizes his role as strategic visioning and relationship management. In pursuit of a company that lives a legacy of excellence to the benefit of employees and investors, Zucker’s ambition has been to develop prop- erties that make a lasting impact on the city’s fabric. In the 15 years since the firm’s founding, Zocalo has introduced more than a thousand units of for-sale and for-rent multi- family living to walkable Denver communities like Jeffer- son Park, Cherry Creek and the Ballpark neighborhood. “Organizationally, Zocalo is focused on stewardship, people, integrity, resourcefulness, innovation and team- work,” continues Zucker. “By developing, building, leasing and managing our assets ultimately, everything we do is centered on the resident experience, from construction to sweeping the floor.” Zocalo’s latest endeavor, a 13-story, 367-unit apartment building, offers a decidedly concise approach to creating community at the corner of 35th and Walnut streets near the epicenter of the River North Art District. Edit, Zocalo’s take on bite-size living, surrounds abbreviated unit propor- tions with an abundance of outdoor access and urbanite accessories bedecked in art. Centrally locatedwithin a brief walk of several of Denver’s hip and emerging districts, Edit puts the city affordably at the doorstep of fun-size apart- ments. Edit’s amenity package includes a sprawling rooftop lounge on level 14, ground-floor common areas, a sumptu- ous fitness center, three levels of integrated parking and roughly 10,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. Its full-fledged embrace of sustainability includes a hydronic piping heating and cooling system that Zocalo believes to be a first of its kind among multifamily high-rise buildings in North America. At an average of 560 sf per unit, the Edit apartment does not quite translate to micro-living but defi- nitely comes in a bit under much of downtown’s existing inventory. “Construction costs have been rising roughly 11% a year since 2007, while rents have increased by about 3.5% and WORDS: Sean O’Keefe LEFT: Fenestration at the ground level is organized around large, oversized openings reminiscent of the district’s former conglomeration of warehouses, metal works and auto repair outfits. BELOW: Edit offers 10,000 square feet of retail on the ground floors.