By Chris Michlewicz; photo by Terri Wiebold

Grading has begun on a 325-unit multifamily residential project in Canyonside, part of The Canyons community on the east side of I-25 in the City of Castle Pines.

As is evidenced by hundreds of feet of red construction fencing, building is underway on a new apartment complex in Canyonside, a mixed-use development within The Canyons community that is intended to help provide a more diverse housing inventory in the City of Castle Pines.

The City’s Planning Commission approved a site improvement plan in late June for Canyonside Apartments. The 325-unit multifamily residential project is between Canyonside Boulevard and Cross Canyon Trail in The Canyons, a community southeast of I-25 and Hess Road/Castle Pines Parkway in the City of Castle Pines where roughly 300 homes have been built in the last two years.

Crews are currently grading dirt on the 17.3-acre site, which is just northwest of The Exchange Coffee House. The apartment units will be dispersed throughout 14 residential buildings that will be a maximum of four stories tall, or 41 feet. The development is also slated to include a clubhouse with a pool, a dog park, a playground, 10 stand-alone covered parking garages, and access to multiple planned trails, according to planning documents on the City of Castle Pines website.

A staff report from the community development department states that recent economic changes and social factors – including smaller household sizes, more empty nesters, an aging population, and a desire for less maintenance – have “contributed toward new trends in housing development which include diverse housing types with smaller lots and smaller house sizes.”

“These factors contribute to a higher density development which tends to allow a more attainable price point, lower utility expenses and less maintenance,” the report indicated.

Sam Bishop, community development director for the City, said the Canyonside Apartments are a “critical element” to the future mixed-use area on the southeast quadrant of I-25 and Castle Pines Parkway/Hess Road.

“The addition of multifamily residential units will contribute to the diversity of the City’s housing stock and provide for a much-needed housing product,” he said. “I anticipate this project being the catalyst for additional commercial development on the east side of I-25.”

The staff report states the comprehensive plan for Castle Pines identifies planning area 3 in The Canyons, where the apartments are being built, as a mixed-use community that permits various residential types.

Buildings on the site will maintain a unified architectural look, drawing upon the rolling hills/prairie setting in The Canyons development, while adding a modern approach using a starker palette of colors set against the natural landscape. In total, 51% of the site will be hardscaped, leaving the remaining 48% for landscaping and natural vegetation.

The builder of Canyonside Apartments is Denver-based BMC Investments, which has developed several multifamily projects in the Denver area.

For more information, visit www.castlepinesco.gov, hover over the ‘City Services’ menu header, then select ‘Planning Commission’ on the right side of the screen. Scroll down and click the button that says ‘Explore Meeting Packets and Minutes,’ then scroll down and click the ‘May 2021 Packet’ button. The apartment project is item 5.c.