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March 4-March 17, 2015 — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — Page 23
Construction, Design & Engineering News
Roth Sheppard is uncorking
designs on a new concept food-
focused venue.
The firm was selected by
Uncorked Kitchen to design
the company’s first location in
southeast Denver.
Uncorked Kitchen, conceived
by Katie and Eric Robbins and
their extended family, will be
situated in a two-story build-
ing at 8171 S. Chester St. in
Centennial. The concept, root-
ed in the belief that “amaz-
ing things can happen when
people come together over food
in the kitchen” will occupy the
entire 12,781-square-foot sec-
ond floor of the building, above
first-floor retail.
“We are thrilled to be work-
ing with Jeffrey Sheppard and
his team at Roth Sheppard
Architects,” stated Katie and
Eric Robbins. “When we heard
their proposed design concept,
it just felt like the perfect fit
and we had a great connec-
tion. They really brought our
project to life. Their vision for
Uncorked Kitchen was totally
aligned with what we had pic-
tured in our minds.”
The overall building is being
developed by the Robbins to
support Uncorked Kitchen’s
program, which is designed
around teaching, entertaining
and special events through food
and cooking. As demonstrated
by Denver’s increased interest
in healthy farm-to-table cuisine
and foodie clubs, cooking has
become more than a necessity,
it has become a hip, exciting
experience for all ages, accord-
ing to Roth Sheppard. The Rob-
bins family intends to tap into
this trend with a “farmhouse
modern” space that supports
multiple functions and encour-
ages family and community
interaction – from date nights
and girls’ night out events to
corporate team building activi-
ties and kids classes, camps and
birthday parties.
The Uncorked Kitchen main
space will be located on the
second floor and include a wine
bar and lounge, three open-ceil-
ing, fully operational kitchens,
and a prep kitchen with addi-
tional support space. Kitchens
designed to encourage more
intimate family oriented activi-
ties as well as larger groups will
be interconnected to allow for
up to 40 guests. Operable glass
garage doors with expansive
windows will open up along
the west side of the kitchens
revealing uninterrupted views
of the Rocky Mountain Front
Range. Ample space is provid-
ed for hands-on participatory
cooking, and dining together at
community tables when prep-
aration is complete. A 580-sf
outdoor deck that extends off
of the wine bar and lounge,
also opens up opportunities
for extended summer evening
events before or after a cooking
experience.
“We are honored to play a
part in this unique and inno-
vative project,” said Jeffrey
Sheppard, AIA, co-founder and
design principal at Roth Shep-
pard Architects. “Katie and Eric
are introducing an exciting new
concept to Colorado and we are
thrilled to be a part of its initial
conception and creation.”
The building’s first floor
includes a multipurpose event
space, outdoor grilling area and
access to an herb garden, in
addition to 3,817 sf of street-
level leasable retail space. The
building’s exterior, construct-
ed of masonry, cement stucco,
metal siding and extensive
glass, is designed like a wrap-
per that unfolds to reveal the
activities within, according to
Roth Sheppard. A two-story
glass lobby functions as the
main entry with an open stair
leading to Uncorked Kitchen's
second-floor kitchens and
wine bar. Uncorked Kitchen is
expected to open sometime this
fall.s
Roth Sheppard Architects
The Uncorked Kitchen main space will be located on the second floor and include a wine bar and lounge, three open-ceiling, fully operational kitchens, and a prep kitchen with addi-
tional support space.
BMC Investments and Sage
Hospitality started construction
on its $70 million hotel and
retail development in the heart
of Cherry Creek North at 245
Columbine St.
Work began in January on the
project, which is expected to
generate in excess of 750 con-
struction jobs.
The development will include
155 hotel rooms, a roof-deck
pool and bar, 5,000 square
feet of meeting and banquet
space and two ground-floor
restaurants, one of which will
be Departure by Sage Restau-
rant Group. The other 6,000 sf
of retail space is available for
another restaurant, operated by
a third party.
The hotel will be a luxury,
independently branded expe-
rience unique to the Denver
market, its name to be released
at a later date. The structure
will contain 100 percent valet
parking in the two levels of
below-grade parking being
constructed.
“We are very excited to deliv-
er what we expect to be another
transformative project not only
in Cherry Creek but for the
Denver hospitality market as
a whole. We’ve assembled an
incredible team that has worked
tirelessly to get the project to
the groundbreaking, and they
will deliver a successful and
impressive product upon com-
pletion,” said Matt Joblon, CEO
of BMC Investments.
Mortenson Construction is
the general contractor for the
project, JG Johnson Architects
and gkkworks are the archi-
tects for the project. New York-
based AvroKO fashioned the
public spaces and the rooms,
and the firm is also responsible
for the Great Hall public space
in the newly renovated Denver
Union Station. Portland, Ore-
gon-based Skylab fashioned the
Departure Restaurant and the
roof-deck pool and bar.
FirstBank financed the proj-
ect, along with Sunflower
Bank, continuing a relationship
with both BMC and Sage. “We
are excited to be part of this
development with companies
who are aligned with our same
commitment to improving our
local communities,” said Matt
Cornwell, senior vice president-
South Jefferson County Mar-
ket, FirstBank. “As Colorado’s
largest locally owned bank we
are thrilled at the jobs this proj-
ect will produce as well as the
enhancement it will add to the
Cherry Creek North neighbor-
hood.”
“This project will mirror the
big changes that have been tak-
ing place in the Cherry Creek
North neighborhood,” said
Walter Isenberg, president and
CEO of Sage. “The hotel and
restaurant we have planned
will deliver the luxury expe-
rience for locals and visitors,
we’re proud to bring these con-
cepts to Denver.”
The retail space will be ready
for tenant improvements in late
2015, and the hotel is expected
to open in April of 2016.s