New Life In Olde Town

In Jefferson county, it’s in with the old and with the new. While Westminster breaks ground on a massive mixed-use city center, new life is being breathed into Arvada’s Olde Town.

“Downtown Westminster is located on the former Westminster mall site,” says Sarah Nurmela, the Real Estate and Development Manager for Downtown Westminster. She tells OUT FRONT the 105-acre site at 88th and Sheridan “will become a major destination in the city and region, offering a diverse environment for living, working, shopping and dining, and culture.”

When she says “diverse,” she’s not kidding.

This area will include a little bit of everything. A Central Plaza is at the heart of the project and will be surrounded by parks, walking trails, new businesses, townhomes, one of the country’s largest movie theaters, and an entire floor of luxury salon suites. Construction is already underway for a 900-space parking garage and longtime tenant, J.C. Penney, is investing $3 million dollars in updates that will include an in-store Sephora.

Ironically, when Arvada city planners began mapping out their city center in the late 1800s, they had a very similar plan. Main Street is at the heart of Olde Town Arvada and is also surrounded by numerous parks, walking trails, and buildings that house shops, galleries, restaurants, and breweries. The city grew out of Colorado’s very first gold strike. Like most of Jefferson County, it’s seen its share of booms and busts.

Just 10 years ago, many of Olde Town’s historic buildings were boarded up. Now, they are bursting at the seams with new businesses and trendy restaurants. Next month, a new light rail opens here that will take people between Olde Town and Denver. This is expected to bring even more people to the historic center.

The growth is great for shop owners, but Ashley Rice, who’s lived here for 13 years says there is also a downside. “We’ve almost lost our house multiple times because of rent [increases],” she says. “Our rent skyrocketed and my mom didn’t understand why — it was because of all the new stuff in Olde Town. Our neighbors that lived next door for years left because of rent prices.”

If the trend continues, Jefferson County’s boom will likely drive out more people who can no longer afford to live here. Sarah says Westminster’s new city center will address this by designating “over 25 percent of residential units as affordable and workforce housing.”

Ashley says despite higher rent in Olde Town, more growth does equal more fun. “It has been good,” she says because “there’s lots to do down there.” She laughs and points out the new game Pokémon Go. “There’s Pokestops literally everywhere in Olde Town.”

Now that’s something city founders certainly did not anticipate when planning the city center.