NORTHGLENN, Colo. — When Denver7 visited Northglenn as part of our Your Voice series, residents had plenty of questions about how the city is tackling growth and bringing new life to empty storefronts and aging spaces.
"I would definitely love to see more food places, and more things for young adults as well, like just new places for activities and stuff," said resident Aaliyah Aragon.
"It's just a lot of businesses that struggle. The parking lot — total disarray," said resident David Pollack, referencing the location of the old Safeway on E. 120th Avenue that closed down last year.
Denver7's Maggie Bryan brought their questions and concerns to Northglenn Mayor Meredith Leighty to ask how city leaders are working to attract new businesses and family-friendly spaces to the city's aging commercial corridors.
Leighty said the Northglenn Marketplace is at the center of those efforts. The 650,000-square-foot shopping center near I-25 and W. 104th Avenue has struggled over the years to keep storefronts full. The site was once home to the Northglenn Mall, a 1960s shopping staple that many longtime residents remember.
By the late 1990s, store closures and declining foot traffic forced the mall to close before it was eventually demolished. The Northglenn Marketplace opened on the former mall site in 2000.
"We have a lot of residents that remember the Northglenn Mall fondly. It was an inside mall. It was a classic style," Leighty said. "I remember coming here as a kid myself. When it came down, it was really heartbreaking to the residents. Northglenn Marketplace came back up because outdoor spaces were more the trend."
The city said most of the shopping center went through foreclosure in 2011 before Connecticut-based Hutensky Capital Partners purchased much of the property in 2017.
Leighty said the marketplace gained new momentum in 2023 when Prost Brewing Company opened its headquarters there, helping anchor the redevelopment effort.
"We were so excited when Prost came, and the organization has been so wonderful to work with," Leighty said. "It's a point of pride for our city, and it is already bringing in more businesses to this area."
She said the Northglenn Marketplace is a top development priority for the city because of its location right off the interstate. Since Prost opened, the city said businesses including Kids Empire, The Body Refinery pilates studio, Action Behavior Centers and Big Blue Swim School signed new leases at the shopping center. The city said Bubba's 33 will also take over a vacant restaurant space later this year.
Despite the progress, vacancies remain visible across the property. In a statement to Denver7, Hutensky Capital Partners said it has leased more than 625,000 square feet between new leases and renewals since acquiring the property.
However, the company acknowledged the center has been hard hit by a series of retailer bankruptcies, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Joann Fabrics, Dress Barn, Tuesday Morning, and most recently Painted Tree Boutiques. Hutensky Capital Partners said those closures were chain-wide issues and not related to performance at the Northglenn Marketplace specifically.
Hutensky Capital Partners said it has improved the occupancy rate from about 60% when it acquired the property in 2017 to 80% today, with new tenants in lease negotiations that could push occupancy to 85%.
Leighty said the city works closely with Hutensky Capital Partners to stay up to date about new tenants and advocate for businesses that would be a good fit for the community. The mayor acknowledged the pace of change can be frustrating for residents.
"Residents don't always know that we don't own the property, and it's also never a quick fix to find a new tenant. It takes time, and that's I think the frustrating part," Leighty said. "But it takes a very long time because there's contracts behind the scenes and all of that goes through the property owner, and that is not the city, so we follow the process side by side."
Residents also raised concerns about the major void left in the community after the city's Safeway on E. 120th Avenue closed last year. The store was one of 10 locations closed across Colorado as part of a restructuring effort by parent company Albertsons.
"It was disappointing. It certainly was because we want to make sure that we have grocery available for all of our residents, and so it did take a walkable option away from many residents," Leighty said.
Leighty said a Crunch Fitness will soon take over the former Safeway space. She said the city has received complaints about safety at the location over the years and is hopeful the transition will improve conditions.
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