Colorado Real Estate Journal -
A pair of fraternity houses directly across the street from the University of Colorado campus are being transformed into student housing as part of $45 million in projects Brinkman Construction is building in Boulder. The Acacia Fraternity and former Beta Kappa houses have been demolished to make way for Plaza on Broadway, a 98,208-square-foot building that will have 159 student housing beds. The project will include a “lodge” where Acacia Fraternity members can meet, a concept Brinkman Partners, a Fort Collins company that is partnering with Del Mar Interests and the Woodbury Corp. to develop the housing, incorporated into a similar development at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. “I think the concept of creating a nice, new lodge/meeting space/gathering area that’s modern but where not everybody has to live in is a concept that fraternities and sororities are looking at,” said Paul Brinkman, president of Brinkman Partners. The CU houses are among a number of Greek properties that, for various reasons, have been converted to student housing or other uses. Brinkman Construction also has broken ground on a Hampton Inn & Suites in Gunbarrel and Baseline Crossing, a 17,000- sf retail development off U.S. Highway 36 and Baseline Road. Located at 17th and Broadway, Plaza on Broadway will consist of two three-story buildings. Each building will include common areas with study space and televisions. A courtyard between the two buildings will create a community feel. Almost all of the units will have four bedrooms with beds renting for $950 to $1,075 per month. Plaza on Broadway also will have 82 underground parking spaces, racks for 50 bicycles and underground storage that will be available for rent. The project will be the first Green Globes-certified multifamily development in Boulder. The Hampton Inn & Suites, being developed by Boulder Hospitality LLC, is the first hotel to be built in Boulder in many years and also will be the first LEED certified hotel in the city. Located at 6333 Lookout Road, just off the Diagonal Highway in Gunbarrel, it will include 100 rooms, 30 of which will be suites. The three-story hotel will have a conference room, boardroom, pool and hot tub area, workout facility and breakfast area. Scheduled for completion in summer 2013, it will target business travelers. Brinkman Partners is marketing three neighboring pad sites for lease and hopes to attract a restaurant to provide synergy with the hotel. It’s also designing a multitenant retail building. The sites range from 0.76 to 0.95 acres and are approved for buildings from 6,000 to 12,500 sf. The third project Brinkman Construction is building is Baseline Crossing, a two-building restaurant/retail project at 2900 Baseline Drive, near the corner of U.S Highway 36 and Baseline Road. Being developed by East Baseline Investors, a group that includes Bruce Dierking, Jim Loftus, Scott Reichenberg and Neil Littmann, the project is scheduled for delivery in September. Amante Coffee will occupy 1,800 sf, and Café Mexicali will lease approximately 4,000 sf. Both will have rooftop decks.