Colorado Real Estate Journal - April 20, 2016
The Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center is being transformed into a state-of-theart campus. Designed by the Farnsworth Group, phase one upgrades for the existing facility, located at 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver, are complete. Waner Construction recently completed the $400,000 worth of upgrades in the building’s existing fitness center, common areas and lobby. Upgrades include: a new design and color palette (paint, carpeting and fixtures); bright, energy-efficient, LED lighting; new, colorful and comfortable furnishings in the common areas (lobby); new fitness equipment (spin bikes, racks, exercise equipment, TVs, towels and more); new water fountains; improved sidewalk with easier access to the lobby; and a new art collection. The next phase will take approximately 12 to 18 months to construct an entirely new 63,000-square-foot fitness and wellness center on another portion of the existing Dahlia Street site. Funded entirely by a gift from philanthropist and developer Michael Staenberg, the phase one upgrades will be followed by construction of the new fitness and wellness center, a new aquatic center featuring (four) indoor and outdoor pools, an expanded multigenerational family center, a renovated early childhood education center and a “refresh” of the Mizel Arts & Culture Center. “The J has amazing cultural, educational and recreational programs and we want the quality of the facilities to match,” Staenberg stated. “I’d like to see the J become the go-to multiuse facility in metro Denver for the entire community, Jews and non-Jews alike, and set an example for JCCs nationwide.” Construction of the new health and wellness center is slated to begin later this year.