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June 17-June 30, 2015 — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — Page 21B
Parker is located 20 miles
from downtown Denver,
in Colorado’s fastest-
growing county. The Town of
Parker boasts a highly talented
and educated workforce, a high
quality of life that balances rural
living with the conveniences
and amenities of a large city.
The local community offers
ample opportunity for investors,
developers, business owners
and retailers. The business
community and residents
can take advantage of the
area’s numerous recreational
opportunities and excellent
school system.
The Town enjoys easy access
to Denver, Colorado Springs
and the rest of the Front Range
via the E-470 tollway, Interstate
25 and public transportation.
Denver International Airport is
located 30 minutes away, and
Centennial Airport, a general
aviation airport, is located just
10 minutes away, providing
travelers convenient access to
the rest of the country and the
world.
With a population close to
50,000, the 20-plus-square-mile
Town of Parker boasts a median
age of 34 years of age and a
median household income of
$104,887. The Town’s favorable
demographics include a low
unemployment rate.
The Economic Development
Team provides full-service
economic development
assistance to existing, expanding
and relocating businesses, as
well as retail development.
Parker: TheRight
Location forBusiness
Parker is the perfect location
for business and various
Town initiatives support
entrepreneurship and innovation.
Parker has placed increased
emphasis on economic
development, taking steps to
increase business recruitment and
retention, including a streamlined
approval process. Parker offers a
number of customizable business
incentives and small-business
assistance programs, including tax
credits, venture capital funding
resources and workforce training.
For those businesses considering
Parker as a potential location, the
Town’s existing real estate stock
includes a variety of office, light
industrial, retail and mixed-use
space available. Parker has plenty
development opportunities to
meet your business needs with over
4,500 acres of undeveloped land.
Economic Development
Incentives and Programs
Understanding that each
business may vary in the type
of assistance needed and
each situation may differ, staff
customizes economic development
assistance packages to the needs
of each unique company and/
or situation. The Town Assistance
Package can include rebates on
permit fees and/or construction
use tax and rebates on incremental
sales tax.
The Parker Improvement
Program (PIP) provides matching
funds for eligible property owners
and tenants to upgrade the
appearance of storefronts and
building facades. Improving and
upgrading building facades in
Parker, especially along the Parker
Road corridor, is an important
goal of the program. The PIP
seeks to bring new life to existing
buildings that do not conform
to current standards or are in
need of a “face-lift.” By assisting
property owners to upgrade the
appearance of their buildings, the
aesthetic environment of Parker
is enhanced, thus improving
economic vitality for all businesses
and the Town as a whole.
As part of the Town’s
commitment to small business
and entrepreneurs, Parker
also provides a Small Business
Scholarship Program. This
program allows for the
reimbursement of business
training expense to small and
home-based business owners/
employers with 25 or fewer
employees. To qualify, businesses
must be licensed and located
within the Town limits of Parker.
The scholarship program is
designed to allow for flexibility
in choosing the type of training
that enhances each business. All
courses that reasonably benefit the
business are eligible. Applicants
may choose courses from any
accredited institution or generally
accepted programs.
Parker Authority for
Reinvestment
The Town of Parker established
the Parker Authority for
Reinvestment (PAR) in 2006.
The purpose of PAR is to foster
development and redevelopment
that maintains the Town’s high
quality of life and public spaces
through alleviating and preventing
blight within the Town.
PAR currently administers the
implementation of three urban
renewal plan areas: Cottonwood
Commercial Area, Parker Central
Area and Parker Road Area. The
Town of Parker and PAR are using
the urban renewal area tool to
assist property owners to reinvest
in the area and provide necessary
public improvements.
Major/Current Employers
Within minutes of Parker there
are a number of Fortune 500
company headquarters in the
finance, communications, health
care and electronics industries.
These Fortune 500 companies
include Arrow Electronics, Liberty
Media, Charles Schwab and
CH2M.
Parker is a viable alternative to
the nearby Denver Tech Center
and businesses are able to leverage
a highly talented and well-educated
population, with direct access to
over 1 million people in a 20-mile
radius.
Parker is home to an increasing
number of businesses and
industries, including Medtronic,
Oralabs and Mountain Man Fruit
&Nut. Welcoming both large
corporations and small businesses,
Parker’s list of major employers
also includes Parker Adventist
Hospital, Rocky Vista University
and a number of major retailers.
Real Estate Data and Trends
Existing commercial real estate is
available in the Town of Parker for
most any endeavor. The Town of
Parker’s economy is continuing to
improve year over year. The Town’s
overall commercial vacancy rate
dropped from 7.3% at the end of
the first-quarter 2014 to 5.9% at
the end of the first-quarter 2015.
Parker has more room to grow,
with approximately 5,100 acres
for development. Parker enjoyed
the absorption of approximately
190,000 square feet of commercial
space year over year.
Town of Parker
John L. Hall
Economic Development Director,
Town of Parker