Sustainable 86-Unit Apartment Community Breaks Ground at S’PARK

Mile High CRE

April 26, 2021

Construction is underway on Platform, a new 86-unit residential rental community on the site of the final parcel in S’PARK, a 6.8-acre mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented development located in the heart of Boulder. The John Buck Company of Chicago and Element Properties of Boulder are the developers and KTGY is the designer and architect for the project, which is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

S’PARK is located along Valmont Road at the site of the former Sutherlands Lumberyard and features new Class A office, residential apartments, townhomes and live/workspace as well as a vibrant retail-lined plaza supported by underground parking and access to Boulder’s new RTD Bus Rapid Transit Station and B-Cycle bike rental stations. The development is also strategically located near employment centers, including the 106,000 square feet of leased office space within S’Park and the new 300,000-square-foot Google campus. S’PARK is developed by The John Buck Company, along with Element Properties.

Platform is located on 1.17 acres at 3350 Bluff Street at the south end of S’PARK. The new residential community will feature 86 units, with studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments and ground-level retail.

According to Terry Willis, AIA, LEED AP, principal at KTGY in Denver, “Platform provides a convenient connection to pedestrian and bicycle paths as well as the shops and amenities of the S’PARK development. With two generous rooftop decks affording views of the Flatirons, an intimate amenity space, covered vehicle and bicycle parking for residents, Platform offers easy access to a lively social neighborhood as well as quiet, contemplative outdoor spaces.”

Residents of Platform will also be able to enjoy the amenities located at the sister apartment community Timber situated directly across the street.

“When envisioning this new, four-story, mixed-use apartment building, KTGY was challenged to create a design that was compatible with the previous developments, yet distinctive,” said Willis, “Conforming to Boulder’s new form-based code.”

Another design consideration was the site’s adjacency to Boulder’s future Northwest Rail Line Station. “The building’s predominant massing draws parallels between the movement of railway cars and the shifting lines they run upon,” Willis said. “Viewed from one angle, the building reads as an idle string of boxcars awaiting their deployment. From the reverse view, the elevations take on a more dynamic appearance, revealing accents of wood alluding to the color of the flatirons beyond. The base of the building creates a brick plinth for the units to rest on and relates to the language of the surrounding community. Smaller apartments with excellent access to existing and future transit provide a more affordable option for recent graduates entering the tech industry.”

According to Willis, “Tech companies are capitalizing on the great talent and amazing outdoor lifestyle that Boulder offers. We think that this region will soon be one of the top tech hubs in the country.”

A social networking tenant recently signed a lease for 64,000 square feet in the Railyards Building at S’PARK at 3401 Bluff St. Software company Splunk (Nasdaq: SPLK) has made S’PARK its regional headquarters at the Market Building at 3400 Valmont Road and occupies approximately 42,000 square feet.

S’PARK is a modern village with active greenspaces and cutting-edge sustainability integrated for people to live, work, eat and play in a true mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented community. Combined with dynamic outdoor public places, modern architecture, walkability and Boulder’s 155 miles of hiking trails, S’PARK fosters a vibrant and creative environment where people can thrive.