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INSIDE I t is no secret that Denver is one of the country’s hottest markets with economic stabil- ity and a growing population. The region is home to 10 For- tune 500 company headquarters, including one of the nation’s largest medical groups. While big-name companies are moving into the metro area to take advantage of the strong employment, concentration of skilled labor and its advanced transportation systems, the health care and wellness workforce con- tinues to drive the region’s employ- ment growth. According to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., employment in Denver has increased every year since 2004, adding more than 88,420 workers between 2004 and 2017. Over the past five years, employ- ment in the region grew 24.1 percent, which was nearly double the U.S. growth rate of 10.7 percent. Between 2012 and 2017, the region added 43,250 health care and wellness jobs, accounting for 10 percent of the total job growth in the region over this period of time. With an employment base of over 222,700 workers in 21,160 companies, the health care and wellness cluster is the region’s largest cluster in terms of employment. And where there is continued growth, there is an increase in demand for medi- cal office space. The metro Denver market also boasts the world’s only complete new research, education and patient care complex on the 578-acre Fitzsimons campus. As the largest dedicated owner and operator of medical office buildings in the United States, we’ve has seen this growth trend firsthand as the metro Denver region is currently one of our most active markets in the West. In a little over 12 months, we’ve signed nearly 50,000 square feet of new leasing throughout the 10 medi- cal office buildings owned by the company in Denver. In the same time frame, the net occupancy rose by 10 percent in these buildings. We’ve noted the sweet spot in size requirements for medical office space is currently between 2,500 sf and 5,000 sf. Some of the prevalent high-growth medical sectors in this market, including orthopedics, pain management, diagnostic imaging, primary care, integrative medicine and wellness, are fed by the unique lifestyle demands of Denver’s growing population. About half of the recent new leases signed at HTA buildings were in one of these Medical office building demand continues to expand in metro Denver area Expanding demand PAGE 10 Designing safe environments for the handling of hazardous drugs A peek at the development, openings and sales shaping the senior housing market Prescription for design Senior housing PAGE 14 PAGE 19 Medical office space booms as Denver market grows Please see Northam, Page 24 April 2018 Jaime L. Northam Senior vice president leasing, Healthcare Trust of America Inc. Healthcare Trust of America Inc.’s Lincoln Medical Center building in Parker.