Colorado Real Estate Journal - September 7, 2016
A long-vacant building in Wheat Ridge is getting a new lease on life. The city of Wheat Ridge formed a public-private partnership with Hartman Ely Investments to redevelop the vacant Fruitdale School into loftlike apartments. The historic building, located at 10803 W. 44th Ave., has been empty since 2007, when it last served as a public school in the Jefferson County School District. The Wheat Ridge Housing Authority purchased the former schoolhouse in 2011 and has been searching for a partner to help redevelop the historic building. HEI, which specializes in urban redevelopment, plans to transform Fruitdale into a 16-unit apartment community with five-income restricted apartments. The new community will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 500 to 1,000 square feet. The renovated property will feature a range of sustainable elements, including a solar power system, energy/water efficiency features and a free electric vehicle charging system. The parking lot also will be upgraded into a landscaped, low-water-use parking area with fruit trees to reflect Fruitdale’s history as farmland. Because of its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the property is eligible for $1.75 million in preservation tax credits on both the state and federal levels. The housing authority and the city of Wheat Ridge also have committed grant funds for the project. The project is targeted to break ground in the beginning of 2017.