Colorado Real Estate Journal - October 5, 2016
Palace Construction will serve as the general contractor for Hartman Ely Investments’ latest restoration project, an affordable housing development converted from the historic Fruitdale building at West 44th Avenue and Owens Street in Wheat Ridge. The architect is the Abo Group, a firm dedicated to sustainable architecture. Fruitdale Lofts is scheduled to be completed in late 2017. The project will provide workforce and affordable rental units to the rapidly growing area, reserving five units for income-restricted residents. The 13,700-square foot Fruitdale Lofts project is set to incorporate sustainable environmental features into the building’s amenities, including a solar power system, which will qualify the property for approximately $100,000 in solar tax credits, complimentary electric car charging stations, and energy- and water-efficiency systems. The Fruitdale Lofts’ one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will also provide tenants with access to a parking lot landscaped with numerous fruit trees to pay homage to the history of the neighborhood, which historically contained many fruit orchards. “The Fruitdale Lofts will bring new life to this part of Wheat Ridge, and Palace Construction is honored to be a part of this project,” said Palace Construction’s Maggie Bolden. “The Fruitdale Lofts bring together three different initiatives that mean a great deal to Palace Construction: sustainability, historic renovation and affordable housing.” Originally constructed in 1886 as an educational building, the Fruitdale building later burned down and was resurrected in the 1920s by the famed Temple Buell. The building has since become a historic landmark in the city of Wheat Ridge and on the National Register, making its restoration an initiative to keep the piece of history intact in a growing area. The project brings together the beauty and craftsmanship of the past and the energy efficiency and sustainability of the present. Palace Construction’s involvement in the development of the Fruitdale Lofts comes after the company’s participation in the development of the Northfield@ Stapleton project by the Northeast Denver Housing Center, the Sewell Child Development Center, the redevelopment of an existing office into the new Ruben Valdez Achievement Campus for Denver Public Schools and CityScape at Belmar.