As Colorado experiences a boom in jobs and an influx of new residents, the need to add more residential communities continues to grow. Conveniently located between Denver and Boulder, the town of Superior, Colorado boasts easy access to transit and beautiful mountain scenery. Identifying the opportunity to create a desirable residential enclave with a walkable town square along the new Main Street, connecting to commercial and civic spaces, Ranch Capital collaborated with Carmel Partners and KTGY to establish a new, vibrant masterplan community: Downtown Superior.
Beginning with 156 acres of undeveloped, raw land, the Downtown Superior master plan combines services and community connection to create a new destination district, where residents can enjoy interconnected walkability, neighborhood gathering spaces, and the vitality of an active mixed-use neighborhood. The success of this new development hinges on the people of Downtown Superior, as the energy of the new residents brings the key ingredient for creating a vibrant and flourishing community.
Through the design of ten residential, four commercial, and four mixed-use buildings, encompassing 382 residential units and nearly 70,000 square feet of civic, commercial, retail and restaurant space, KTGY envisioned a mixed-use community designed to bring people together for events, concerts, movie nights and farmers markets, building on the existing sense of community in this small but growing town. The ideally positioned site, lined with retail and dining, anchors the residential components to the existing sports facility, attracting visitors as well as new residents.
Designed to LEED Gold standards, Downtown Superior incorporates green thinking and an environmentally conscious aesthetic, including a walkable environment as the primary planning strategy. A 2016 study by Redfin found that a single Walk Score point increased property values by an average of $3,250 or 0.9%. Walkable neighborhoods indicate correlations to decreased instances of obesity and other related health issues.
The architectural design uses strong, honest materials and dark colors in a nod to the rich coal mining history of the site, from which Superior derived its name. A mix of traditional and modern designs in brick and metal features extensive glazing, enhancing the relationship between inside and out. Timeless in its proportions, the composition and materials create a tactile experience at the pedestrian scale. A ‘pop-up’ retail structure animates the town square. For-rent apartments with the latest amenities line the plaza at the upper levels, with retail and live-work units on the ground floor. Adjacent for-sale townhomes within walking distance of the town square complete a self-contained live, work and play community. Shared-parking use patterns accommodate adequate, convenient, and well-designed parking of more than 700 spaces for the residential and commercial development.
FINDING THE HEART
In collaboration with KTGY, landscape architects Dig Studio designed a plaza at the heart of the Downtown Superior community. The central plaza acts as a canvas for making moments that matter and connecting to a composition of distinct spaces where people can either interact or retreat. Restaurants and cafés spill out onto the plaza and a landscaped paseo connects the plaza to residential and play fields beyond.
Iconic elements encourage interaction among a mix of uses, while prioritizing active and memorable experiences for all. At Downtown Superior, the quality of materials, scale, connectivity, and composition create a place positioned to become a beloved neighborhood.
Team
Owner: Carmel Partners
Master Developer: Ranch Capital
Architect | Planner: KTGY
Interior Design: TRIO
Landscape Architect: Dig Studio
Civil: Civil Resources
Structural: DCI
Mechanical | Plumbing | Electrical:
Jordan & Skala Engineers
Typology
Mixed Use
Apartments
Retail | Restaurants
Facts
Density: 56.25 du/ac
Unit Plan Sizes: 600 – 1,250 sq. ft.
Number of Units: 382 du
Site Area: 10.72 ac
Retail: 48,250 sq. ft.
Number of Stories: 4
Parking: 1,159 spaces (1.9 sp./unit)
Construction Type: V