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Page 8AA — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — March 18-March 31, 2015
Retail
by John Rebchook
Elitch Lanes is one of the last
family operated bowling alleys
in Denver.
In the coming months, it will
be closed and replaced by a
Natural Grocers.
The site at Tennyson Street
and West 38th Avenue has been
home to a bowling alley for
more than 60 years.
However, Littleton Capi-
tal Partners recently sold the
bowling alley site.
“Any time we look at a new
possible site, we want to make
sure it is a good fit for us,” said
Jeremy Jones, director of Brand
Engagement at Natural Gro-
cers by Vitamin Cottage.
“This is a good area for us
because of the growing demand
for natural and organic food,
body care and supplements,”
Jones said.
The new Natural Grocers will
be less than three blocks from
the flagship Sprouts Farmers
Market at 38th and Wolff Street.
That’s not a concern, Jones
said.
“First, competition is a good
thing,” Jones said.
“Plus, we consider ourselves
different from a Sprouts,” he
added.
“We offer only 100 percent-
certified produce that other
retailers do not. We also pro-
vide free nutritional educa-
tional programs and work-
shops that are about powering
people’s healthy lifestyles,” he
said.
“That set us apart from other
grocery stores,” according to
Jones.
Records show that Equity
Venture Commercial Devel-
opment paid $4.37 million to
Littleton Capital Partners for
the Elitch Lanes site at 3825
Tennyson St.
Equity Venture Commercial
develops and builds all of the
stores for Lakewood-based
Natural Grocers by Vitamin
Cottage Inc., a publicly traded
company that has about a $670
million market cap.
According to plans submit-
ted to the Denver Community
Planning and Development
department, the Natural Gro-
cers would have 18,565 square
feet, which is slightly smaller
than the bowling alley.
“I’m not sure about this
one, but our typical new store
has about 15,000 square feet,”
Jones said.
The initial plan also calls for
74 parking spaces and 12 spac-
es for bicycles, according to the
city. It also would be built to
Energy Star standards. The city
has not yet reviewed the plan.
Jones said he is not sure
when construction will begin
or when the store will open.
The current owner, however,
has said he plans to close on
May 17.
“We typically announce
our opening dates about four
weeks before they open,” Jones
said.
The 21,000-sf bowling alley
sits on a 1.2-acre site. Few such
large development parcels,
which don’t have to be assem-
bled, are available in the trendy
Elitch Lanes has been a bowling alley for more than 60 years.