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JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
What’ss Onlinee Take a video tour of a historic Jefferson County Main Street
More Green Space Surge in LEED building creates new headquarters options
Leading the Charge Region’s research sparks renewable energy industry
Momentum Builders Economic development efforts generate new investment
SPONSORED BY THE JEFFERSON ECONOMIC COUNCIL | 2010
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Workstyle Leading the Charge
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Research resources put Jeffco on the cutting edge of renewable energy.
Room to Spare
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Jefferson County offers ample acreage for large-scale development.
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More Green Space
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A surge in LEED buildings, mixed-use projects means lots of headquarters options. Table of Contents Continued
24 ON THE COVER The Colorado School of Mines
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Business Almanac
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Business Climate: Momentum Builders
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Energy/Technology
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Economic Profile
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JEFFERS O N CO U NTY, CO LO RAD O 2010 EDITION , VOLUME 6 MANAGING EDITOR BILL MCMEEKIN COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, JESSY YANCEY STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PAMELA COYLE, MICHAELA JACKSON DATA MANAGER CHANDRA BRADSHAW INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER CLAY PERRY SALES SUPPORT MANAGER CINDY HALL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN McCORD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, J. KYLE KEENER PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT MANAGER ANNE WHITLOW CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER JANINE MARYLAND GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, JESSICA MANNER, MARCUS SNYDER WEB IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTOR ANDY HARTLEY WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR FRANCO SCARAMUZZA WEB CONTENT MANAGER JOHN HOOD WEB PROJECT MANAGER YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN LEAD LEIGH GUARIN WEB PRODUCTION JENNIFER GRAVES COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN ALISON HUNTER AD TRAFFIC MARCIA MILLAR, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS V.P./CUSTOM PUBLISHING KIM NEWSOM MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY SIMPSON DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP
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Business Images Jefferson County is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Jefferson Economic Council. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jefferson Economic Council 1667 Cole Blvd., Bulding 19, Suite 400 • Golden, CO 80401 Phone: (303) 202-2965 • Fax: (303) 202-2967 www.jeffco.org
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
What’ss Onlinee Take a video tour of a historic Jefferson County Main Street
More Green Space Surge in LEED building creates new headquarters options
Lifestyle A showcase for what drives Jefferson County’s high quality of life
Leading the Charge Region’s research sparks renewable energy industry
Momentum Builders Economic development efforts generate new investment
SPONSORED BY THE JEFFERSON ECONOMIC COUNCIL | 2010
Read Business Images Jefferson County on your computer, zoom in on the articles and link to advertiser Web sites
NEWS AND NOTES >> Get the Inside Scoop on the latest developments in Jefferson County from our editors and business insiders
Workstyle A spotlight on innovative companies that call Jefferson County home
SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS >> Meet the people setting the pace for Jefferson County business DIG DEEPER >> Log into the community with links to local Web sites and resources to give you the big picture of Jefferson County DATA CENTRAL >> A by-the-numbers look at doing business and living in Jefferson County
See the Video Our award-winning photographers give you a virtual peek inside Jefferson County
GUIDE TO SERVICES >> Links to a cross section of goods and services in Jefferson County
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
Overview
Jefferson County, a Great Place To Call Home are on the cutting edge for development of future technologies. A major component in Jefferson County’s growth is the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, which is united in its efforts to make doing business in Jeffco easy. Commissioners Kathy Hartman, Kevin McCasky and Faye Griffin work to support businesses large and small and foster a thriving economy that continues to create jobs. To make it easier for companies to do business with the county, the commissioners have refined and simplified planning, development and permitting processes. The county emphasizes service 24 hours a day, with new computer programs that enable online searches on the status of building and zoning permits and land-development applications.
Jefferson County’s access to nature’s wonders is unparalleled, and its 300 days of sunshine annually create a year-round recreational haven. The Jefferson County Open Space Program boasts more than 50,000 acres, and its world-class arts venues include the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Foothills Arts Center in Golden, the Lakewood Cultural Center and Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. For more information on the advantages of living and working in Jefferson County, contact: Jefferson Economic Council 1667 Cole Blvd., Suite 400 Golden, CO 80401 (303) 202-2965 Email: info@jeffco.org www.jeffco.org
S TA F F P H O T O
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County offers stunning vistas, an unrivaled quality of life and a superior environment for business growth and investment. A thriving community of 533,000 people in Metro Denver, Jefferson County boasts a diverse and dynamic economy, where “tomorrow’s technologies” are being developed by innovative and knowledge-based companies in such emerging industries as aerospace, bioscience and renewable energy. With its abundance of Class A office space and access to major highways and airports, Jefferson County is an ideal address for corporate headquarters. Jefferson County is home to world-class education and research institutions, such as the Colorado School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, that
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is one of Jefferson County’s natural treasures.
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Almanac LONG LIVE ROCK The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum in Golden opened in February 2008, the first museum in the United States dedicated to all facets of mountaineering. The museum, which is open six days a week and by appointment on Mondays, features a theater and numerous exhibits and artifacts that tell the story of mountaineering’s rich history. The museum is housed inside the American Mountaineering Center, headquarters to leading mountain and climbing organizations such as the American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club and Outward Bound. Go to www.mountaineeringmuseum.org for more on the museum.
BIG WHEELS Wheat Ridge Cyclery is a family-run business started in 1973 by Eugene Kiefel with a $4,800 investment and 750 square feet of retail space. Today, WRC operates out of a 30,000-square-foot facility with 50 employees and sells thousands of cycles and state-of-the-art cycling products each year. Kiefel’s son, Ron, one of the shop’s employees, is a seven-time Tour de France competitor, the first American to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia and a 1984 Olympic bronze medalist. One of the company’s employees started the Dirt Divas, a mountainbike-riding club for women of all skill levels in the metro Denver area to experience the joy of mountain biking. For more on Wheat Ridge Cyclery, go to www. ridewrc.com.
THAT’S SOME FINE ART The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is a small school that lets its students create some big ambitions. The college offers four-year degree programs in areas such as animation, art education, fine arts, game art, graphic design and illustration. The college received its props at the 2009 Academy Awards. A former professor and alum were among members of the Lola Visual Effects team that worked on the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and helped age and de-age Brad Pitt. The film won an Oscar for best visual effects. Go to www.rmcad.edu for more on the college.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
PROMOTING REALLY HIGH FINANCE Jefferson County is at the forefront of efforts to integrate space technology and resources into the global economy.
GOOD HEAD FOR BUSINESS Coors, the fabled brewing company founded in Colorado, has joined forces with one-time rival Miller to form MillerCoors. But Coors remains an integral part of Jefferson County. Its Golden operation, started by Adolph Coors in 1873, is still the largest single-site brewery in the world, with capability of brewing up to 22 million barrels and packaging up to 16 million barrels annually. The company also is an owner-partner in operating the nation’s largest aluminum can manufacturing plant in Golden and a glass bottle manufacturing plant in Wheat Ridge. In addition, Coors’ legacy in Golden includes CoorsTek, a world leader in precision-machined metals, technical ceramics and engineered plastics that was spun out of Coors in the early 1990s and employs some 1,200 people in the region.
The Colorado School of Mines and a cadre of government and business leaders have banded together with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to form the 8th Continent Project to promote entrepreneurial, spacederived business ventures. The initiative brings together a variety of components including a “space business” trade association, a business incubator, funding network and research hub to develop an emerging generation of new companies and small entrepreneurial ventures with real profit potential. For more on the initiative, go to www.8cproject.com.
LEEDER OF THE PACK Design and construction firm Aardex LLC has received a second LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for commercial interiors at its Signature Centre at Denver West in Jefferson County. It is only the second building in the world to receive the dual certification, which follows Platinum certification for the 185,000-square-foot building’s core and shell. The five-story Signature Centre was built in 2007. The second Platinum certification recognized the building’s water savings, use of recycled materials, energy performance and indoor air quality. Go to www.aardex.com for more on the project.
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UNCLE SAM’S PLACE The U.S. government in 1941 acquired the Denver Federal Center, once the site of a large ranch, to produce ammunition during World War II. After the war, the plant was closed and the existing buildings were converted to administrative, office and research facilities. Today the Denver Federal Center, annexed into the city of Lakewood in 2007, houses more than two dozen federal agencies with approximately 6,000 employees in 4.1 million square feet of space that encompasses 65 separate buildings.
THE BUS STOPS HERE The city of Westminster plans to redevelop a 102-acre parcel that formerly housed the Westminster Mall into what planners envision as a new downtown. The new Westminster Center will function as a transitoriented development that will take advantage of a future Westminster multimodal transit station just west of U.S. 36. The plan for the new urban neighborhood includes a pedestrian-oriented street grid surrounding a central town square. The development will offer common open space, offices and four- to eight-story residential buildings above ground-floor retail, including a multiplex cinema and a restaurant row.
THEY WORK FOR THE UNDERGROUND Seismologists at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden track seismic data from monitoring stations around the world. The center is the world’s only facility that monitors seismic activity for the entire planet. This information is recorded on a series of computer screens and seismographs at the center, and scientists use the data not only to monitor earthquakes, but also tsunamis, giant sea waves produced by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. For more on the center, go to earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/neic.
IMAGESJEFFCO.COM
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Business Climate
Momentum Builders Jefferson Economic Council takes leadership role in fight for new jobs and investment Story by Kevin Litwin
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efferson County is home to a diverse and dynamic business base, from household names like Lockheed Martin, Ball Corp., Boston Market and MillerCoors to cuttingedge companies such as CaridianBCT, CoorsTek and Sorin Group. At the heart of efforts to generate new investment and create highpaying jobs is the Jefferson Economic Council, which has promoted the region’s advantages as a premier business locale since 1955. “Whatever it takes to help business – that’s why we’re here,” says Preston Gibson, Jefferson Economic Council president and CEO. JEC’s targeting of high-tech and emerging industries has yielded solid results, even in a national climate of extreme economic challenge. In the last two years, JEC facilitated creation and retention of some 5,400 jobs, representing nearly $388 million in new capital investment. Jeffco’s energy sector numbers more than 300 companies employing more than 6,000 workers. Its aerospace cluster numbers more than 40 companies and 8,600 workers, the highest employment concentration in the Denver metro. “We would really like to attract more industries that are associated with bioscience, renewable energy, aerospace and aviation, as well as those that work in nanotechnology and photonics,” Gibson says. “The current average wage in Jefferson County is $47,000, and, for example, aerospace jobs average $100,000 a year. Those are the kinds of salaries the JEC wants to see more of in Jefferson County.” Infinite Power Solutions, which has facilities in unincorporated Jefferson County , designs and manufactures thin-film,
micro-energy storage devicess for a variety of electronic applications. “The folks at JEC were instrumental in helping us stay in Jefferson County instead of establishing our manufacturing operations in Arapahoe, Boulder or other surrounding counties,” says Ray Johnson, president and CEO of Infinite Power Solutions. “JEC helped us with tax credits and issues related to equipment, jobs and potential manufacturing sites.” Sartorius, a global laboratory and process technology provider, is involved with biotechnology and mechatronics, which combines several engineering disciplines to create new products and processes. Not long ago, the company was thinking of consolidating all of its operations around the world, meaning the potential closing of its Arvada
facility in Jefferson County. But after working with the Arvada Economic Development Association, city of Arvada and JEC, the company reversed field and decided to expand its Arvada site. “The AEDA and JEC contacted us and alerted us to incentives that would not only help us stay here, but expand our existing activities,” says Doug Biette, Sartorius vice president of technical operations. “They introduced us to the larger Jefferson County network for all aspects of our business, from networking sessions to employee training to labor recruitment. AEDA and JEC have been a pleasure to work with.”
What’s Onlinee See video of a tech company’s success in Jeffco at imagesjeffco.com.
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S TA F F P H O T O
The demand for new energy sources is generating an expansion at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
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Leading the Charge Research resources put Jeffco on the cutting edge of renewable energy
Story by Pamela Coyle
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ackling global energy woes is a tall order, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden uses everything from subatomic particles invisible to the naked eye to huge machines with bolts the size of a human head to meet the challenge. The nearby Colorado School of Mines is setting up the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center with $9.3 million from the National Science Foundation. The public university already is home
to the Colorado Fuel Cell Center and the Colorado Energy Research Institute. CSM and the NREL help make the region a magnet for private investment in solar, wind, biomass, fuel cell and geothermal development and products. Jefferson County boasts some 320 energy-related businesses and research operations, with players that include Abengoa Solar, Blue Sun Biodiesel, Community Power Corp. and Versa Power Systems. NREL, which employs more than
1,000 people, and Colorado School of Mines – both part of the state’s Renewable Energy Collaboratory – are national pacemakers, says Todd Hartman, a spokesman for the Governor’s Energy Office. “The growing number of startups and established new energy firms makes Jefferson County a focal point for a future that will see us fundamentally change the way we produce and consume energy,” he says. CSM’s Fuel Cell Center is working to
MORE INSIGHT TWIN DYNAMOS IN RENEWABLES RESEARCH NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY WWW.NREL.GOV NREL is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. It opened in 1977 as the Solar Energy Research Institute. In 1991, it was designated a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy and its name changed. NREL’s technologies have also been recognized with 42 R&D 100 awards.
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES WWW.MINES.EDU A public university founded in 1874, CSM specializes in engineering and applied science, with expertise in resource exploration, production and utilization. It has a student body of about 4,500. It is home to the Colorado Fuel Cell Center, Colorado Energy Research Institute, Center for Solar and Electronic Materials, Center for Revolutionary Solar Conversion, and Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
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S TA F F P H O T O
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
improve efficiency of fuel cells, and in 2009 received a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for using solid-oxide fuel cells to convert biomass fuels at high temperatures. The Colorado Energy Research Institute has several projects, including a joint effort with Princeton University and the University of Hawaii on photosynthetic organisms. The team is investigating certain algae for its use in producing biodiesel and the ability of microalgae to help generate potential power with water and sunlight. At NREL, much of the $110 million in federal stimulus money announced in April 2009 will accelerate capital projects already in the works, including the second phase of a 210,000-squarefoot research support facility that will set new standards for green construction and operation. On the research front, wind-power technology and biomass refining projects got $10 million and $13.5 million infusions, respectively. The Integrated Biorefinery
Research Facility will expand to accommodate more work with industry partners and allow three parallel processing trains for testing of biomass pretreatments. “We are working to use less pretreatment, with more ability to do it quickly and closer to material’s natural state,” says Greg Walters, NREL spokesman. “It is all about economics, using the least effort for the most yield.” The National Wind Technology Center, also based at NREL, will double its capacity to test large wind turbine drive trains. The monster dynamometer can simulate wind conditions equivalent to 30 years in the field in a few months. Other NREL scientists want to inverseengineer advanced materials to bring down the cost of components for solar power. Using quantum physics, researchers start with what properties such a material needs and then manipulate matter at the sub-atomic level to get there. “What those guys do is really in the realm of the unseeable,” Walters says.
By the Numbers 321 Renewable energy and energy research firms in Jefferson County
6,126 Direct employment by energy research and renewable energy firms in Jeffco
$83,490 Average wage for workers in those sectors
$328.3M National Renewable Energy Laboratory funding in fiscal year 2008
Neal Sullivan, director of the Colorado Fuel Cell Center, works in a research laboratory. The center is housed at the Colorado School of Mines, where Sullivan is a professor in the Division of Engineering.
Promoting Clean and Green JEFFCO ENERGY INDUSTRY INITIATIVES BOLSTER A BOOMING SECTOR Jefferson Economic Council (JEC) has taken a lead role in promoting the region’s renewable energy sector. In addition to sponsoring a forum on financing options for energyrelated companies and establishing a task force to promote clean-energy enterprise, JEC has launched a Web site to serve as a clearinghouse for the region’s burgeoning industry sector. The Energizing Tomorrow site at www.jeffcoenergy.org includes directories for sectors such as solar, wind, biomass, biofuel, geothermal and sustainable development. It also includes information on products, financing mechanisms, energy efficiency and conservation, and education related to clean-energy
enterprise, as well as news and legislative updates, and links to research and trade organizations. The site meshes with JEC’s role in serving as a resource for a number of local, county and state incentive programs and funding sources that assist new and expanding businesses. Colorado offers a number of programs and incentives to stimulate new jobs and investment for qualifying companies, including a venture capital fund, corporate personal property tax rebates, sales and use tax exemption for manufacturing equipment, and tax credits for investment in a qualified school-to-work program. JEC administers the Jefferson
County Enterprise Zone Program, part of a state effort to revitalize blighted areas. Companies locating within the zone are eligible for a variety of state income tax credits. Jefferson County takes part in a program that lets counties and municipalities negotiate with eligible new and expanding Colorado companies for corporate personal property tax rebates of up to 50 percent for up to 10 years. The council facilitates requests for program applicants in Jefferson County on behalf of the county and school district. Go to www.jeffco.org/incentivesincentives.htm for more on available incentive programs. IMAGESJEFFCO.COM
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Room to Spare Jefferson County has ample acreage to accommodate large-scale projects Story by Kevin Litwin
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f there is a perception that Jefferson County is out of space for large-scale development, Michelle Claymore wants to dispel that notion. “That is certainly not the case, far from it,” says Claymore, vice president of Jefferson Economic Council. “There are still numerous opportunities in Jefferson County for new developments – big developments. In fact, three of them are ready to roll.” One of those opportunities is at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, where Jefferson County owns more than 600 acres adjacent to the airport. County leaders have a definite vision
for the property. “That land and location would be ideal for aviation-related companies, such as completion centers, aircraft manufacturers and whatever else might be related to the airport,” Claymore says. “In addition, some of the property doesn’t have to specifically be aviation-related, so it could be an opportunity for R&D facilities or any other companies involved with high-tech products.” Another area primed for development spans more than 2,000 acres in the northeast Arvada area near Highways 93 and 72. The Mountain
Plains/Candelas property, as the acreage is called, offers possibilities for multiple types of development, Claymore says. The Mountain Plains portion is ideal for heavier industrial use, while the Candelas portion of the adjoining property is well situated for a high-end, mixed-use community. “Companies that specialize in renewable energy, such as wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels or biomass conversion could be easily and comfortably accommodated at Mountain Plains,” Claymore says. “They need the heavier industrial
Right: Landscape off of HWY 93.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN JEFFCO BIG PROJECTS ARE MAKING THE EARTH MOVE
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Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport: Construction has started on a 125-foot air traffic control tower and a new radar and communications system. The $11 million project includes 7,000 square feet of office space for the FAA. FastTracks: A 12.1-mile light-rail transit line will connect Union Station in downtown Denver to several Jefferson County destinations. The Regional Transportation District of Denver and the Federal Transit Administration signed a $308.6 million full-funding grant agreement for the project in early 2009. The line will be completed in 2013. S TA F F P H O T O
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Federal stimulus funds are accelerating several projects already in the works, including research buildings of 130,000 and 218,000 square feet, construction of a biorefinery research facility and erection of twin 262-foot steel tower wind turbines. St. Anthony’s Medical Campus: Centura Health is building a 630,000-square-foot complex in Lakewood. It will include a 270-bed hospital and two medical office buildings. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
S TA F F P H O T O
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zoning, which is what Mountain Plains can furnish. Meanwhile, Candelas could feature a large housing component along with retail services, some office space and a little bit of light industrial.” Rooney Valley is a sprawling 2,000 acres situated primarily in Lakewood but also partly in Morrison, as well as unincorporated Jefferson County. About 500 Rooney Valley acres are already under construction, with almost all of it residential development so far and all of it in Lakewood, says Becky Clark, director of the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority and Special Projects. Clark says a number of cutting-edge concepts are being considered as part of Rooney Valley’s overall development. “The term ‘agriburbia’ is being used a lot when talking about Rooney Valley, with agriburbia being a way to utilize existing agricultural amenities instead of the typical, store-bought landscaping amenities,” she says.
For example, a business owner or homeowner in Rooney Valley could opt for landscaping with existing rocks, shrubbery and garden features instead of installing a lawn. The shrubbery and gardens can use rainwater for upkeep, whereas a lawn might need chemicals, hose watering and mowing. “It’s just a clever and optional way of utilizing what nature has to offer, and already has in place,” Clark says. She predicts that as the national economy begins to turn around, action will really pick up in Rooney Valley. “A lot of big companies and site selectors have already looked at the land, and a new interchange at Alameda and C-470 has opened up near the property – so any company that settles there has access to good transportation,” Clark says. “And one more selling point: Much of Rooney Valley is only a 10-minute drive to downtown Denver.”
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Developer Gregg Bradbury at the Mountain Plain Industrial Center Right: A jet lands at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, where 600+ acres are available for development.
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MAJOR JEFFCO BUSINESS PARKS Business Park
Location
Acres
1 Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
Unincorporated
683
2 Denver Federal Center
Lakewood
670
3 Candelas
Arvada
527
4 Fehringer Ranch
Unincorporated
493
5 Denver West Office Park
Lakewood
450
6 Coors Technology Center
Golden
375
7 Lakewood Technology Park
Lakewood
320
8 Ken Caryl Business Center
Unincorporated
300
9 Red Rocks Centre
Morrison
282
10 Westmoor Technology Park
Westminster
244
11 Academy Park
Lakewood
220
12 Rooney Ranch Town Center
Unincorporated
145
13 Mountain Plains Industrial Center
Unincorporated
138
14 Church Ranch Corporate Center
Westminster
135
15 Genesee Business Park
Unincorporated
110
16 Belmar
Lakewood
104
17 Canyon View Business Park
Golden
100
18 Jefferson Corporate Center
Unincorporated
98
19 Circle Point Corporate Center
Westminster
82
20 Corporate Center
Golden
79
21 Jefferson I Research Center
Unincorporated
79
22 Jefferson II Research Center
Unincorporated
54
23 44th Industrial Park
Wheat Ridge
51
(See map on page 22)
MORE AT IMAGESJEFFCO.COM
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What’s Onlinee Read more about Jefferson County’s lead in LEED construction at imagesjeffco.com.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
More Green Space Surge in LEED buildings, mixed-use projects means lots of headquarters options
Story by Pamela Coyle
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S TA F F P H O T O S
oming down out of the mountains, MIE Corporate Center in Golden is the first business park on the route to Denver. Downtown is 15 minutes away. It’s 25 minutes to Boulder, 45 minutes to the airport and an hour to Vail. It’s that type of easy access that makes Jefferson County an ideal place to work as well as live. The county boasts more than 20 million square feet of office space, more than 4 million of it Class A. More than 20 major business parks include “flex” space, business condos and offices in mixed-used developments such as Lakewood’s Belmar, with amenities that rival a trendy historic neighborhood. Frank Kelley, senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis, says a highly educated workforce, moderate weather and great access to recreational opportunities give the area an edge. The firm handles Westmoor Technology Park and Circle Point Corporate Center, both in Westminster, which together total 1.3 million square feet of office space. Proximity to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Colorado School of Mines draws energy and engineering firms. Ascent Solar Renewable Energy Systems and Siemens are among recent arrivals to the Denver metro area. “There is lots of good business for the future,” Kelley says. The region is getting attention, too, as a corporate Lance Chayet of Hanover Commercial at the site of the Jefferson Office Park, a 125-000-square-foot office and retail project under construction in Golden Left: The Belmar complex in Lakewood
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“People can come here to work and park their cars and it is literally like being downtown”
headquarters location. DaVita Inc., a major provider of kidney dialysis services, is relocating its headquarters to Colorado from California. Caridian BCT, a medical device manufacturing company, is in the 186,000-square-foot Signature Centre at Denver West, the first commercial LEED Platinum building in Colorado and one of the largest speculative LEED Platinum projects in the United States. Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd., a Swiss-owned maker of single-engine corporate jets, is headquartered within the terminal for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. Service Magic, a consumer conduit to prescreened residential remodeling contractors, is in Lakewood at Denver West Office Park. The Coors Technology Center in Golden is home to the headquarters for CoorsTek, which manufactures advanced ceramic and high-performance plastic components, and Kong Co., maker of a well-known line of dog toys. It is a diverse lineup, and with space available, offices to finish out and developments that have room to expand, Jefferson County is poised to attract more business. Belmar can grow with market demand, says Dan Murphy, chief operating officer of Continuum Partners, which developed the mixed-use project. All 250,000 square feet of office space are occupied, at rates higher than the market because the “downtown” has shopping, restaurants, movie theaters, residences and free parking, Murphy says. Office tenants run the gamut: advertising agencies, architects, engineers, doctors, dentists, a surgery center, a trade school and the headquarters for a medical testing lab. Belmar also has executive suites with private offices and pay-as-needed support services. “People can come here to work and park their cars and it is literally like being downtown,” Murphy says. The 104-acre development can accommodate several hundred thousand square feet of additional office space in two- and three-story buildings to maintain the streetscape. MIE Properties Inc. has Walnut Creek Business Park in Westminster and Sixth Avenue Place in Golden, near its Corporate Center. Walnut Creek has shells ready to build out for offices, medical suites and service centers. “It is convenient to most parts of the metro area and an attractive place to live,” says Steve Rasmussen, regional partner at MIE. “A lot of our tenants live in the mountains.”
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J. KYLE KEENER
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
Livability
Rocky Mountain Hi Ease of living, natural beauty give new arrivals plenty to love
Story by Kevin Litwin
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S TA F F P H O T O S
hough it’s the fourth-most populated county in Colorado, Jefferson County offers wide-open spaces, spectacular natural assets, and a blend of thriving business districts and well-planned communities. Its location on the western edge of metropolitan Denver serves as a gateway to the Rocky Mountains, and the majestic Rockies are present throughout 560 of the county’s 773 square miles. Jefferson County also features land within the Arapahoe, Pike and Roosevelt national forests, and the county is home to 30 open space parks that cover more than 50,000 acres. Its residents can enjoy nearly 200 miles of trails, water recreation on four lakes, five ice arenas, 42 recreation centers, five equestrian centers and a mountaineering center. Nate Oatman and his family moved to Jeffco from Minneapolis when he accepted a job in 2008 as director of business development at GHP Horwath. The Denver-based company specializes in accounting and wealth management. “I am actually a Colorado native who moved away years ago and ultimately married my wife, Kristy, in Minneapolis,” Oatman says. “But when we wanted to start a family and set Above: The Solterra community in Lakewood offers stunning panoramas. Below far left: A stroll on the boardwalk at the wetlands at Evergreen Lake Below left: A hiker at Centennial Cone Park Below right: Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
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What’s Onlinee See video of the railroad’s history in Colorado at imagesjeffco.com.
More Insight The Jefferson County Open Space Program was launched in 1972 to protect open space, natural and cultural resources, and provide quality park and recreational experiences. Voters approved a 0.5 percent tax on retail sales to support the initiative. To date, 30 open space parks and properties are part of the program. The program has acquired more than 51,000 acres. Open Space trails total more than 194 miles. More than 1.7 million people visit the parks and open space properties each year.
down roots, we didn’t want to deal with Minnesota winters every year, and decided that the beauty of Colorado would be ideal for us.” The Oatmans have two sons, 3-year-old Cooper, and Eli, who was born in early 2009. “We love it here,” Nate Oatman says. Oatman and his family reside in Golden on a cul-de-sac street that features 10 homes inhabited by 12 children under the age of 5. “We are close to the mountains, live in a smaller community with an interesting downtown, the schools are excellent, our city is kid friendly and we enjoy the changing seasons,” he says. “Plus my commute to downtown Denver is only 20 minutes. Living in Jefferson County is convenient, interesting and fun.” Another recent transplant is Ray Johnson, president and CEO of Infinite Power Solutions, which has facilities in unincorporated Jeffco.
“Jefferson County is a progressive place to work, and as for scenery, the mountains, parks, open spaces and forests are amazing,” he says. Johnson lived in Minneapolis for 23 years before he was hired in September 2005 to run Infinite Power Solutions, a clean-technology company that designs and manufactures thinfilm micro-energy storage devices for a variety of micro-electronic applications. “My family and I have now been here in Colorado since August 2006 and it has been an easy transition for all of us,” Johnson says. “We love the outdoors and the terrain is ideal for recreational activities, especially since my family likes to hike mountain trails. As for entertainment, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is one of the best outdoor settings for concerts that I’ve ever seen in all my years of attending events around the world.”
Above: One of the many stunning views from Centennial Cone Park Right: Recent arrival Ray Johnson, president and CEO of Infinite Power Solutions, enjoys Jefferson County’s outdoor amenities.
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Getting to Know Jeffco Culture REGION ENJOYS A LIVELY ARTS, CULTURE SCENE Jefferson County has no shortage of cultural attractions and offerings. Here are just a few examples:
S TA F F P H O T O
ARVADA CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES www.arvadacenter.org The 144,000-square-foot center offers year-round theater, concerts and dance, two floors of gallery space that house an extensive collection of contemporary art and special exhibitions, 3,000 square feet of museum space, and classes in ceramics, dance, writing, acting and visual arts. The center has three stages, including its 500-seat main stage. Its theater company produces six shows a year, including musicals, dramas and comedies. In addition, the children’s theater program serves more than 60,000 school kids each year. The center, which opened in 1976 and was expanded in 1992, attracts more than 310,000 visitors annually. FOOTHILLS ART CENTER www.foothillsartcenter.org The Foothills Art Center in Golden houses a fine arts center with changing exhibitions, lectures and art classes. The center, which opened in 1968, is housed in an 1872 Victorian Gothic church and parsonage listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stages the annual Colorado Clay exhibition and the renowned Rocky Mountain National Watermedia exhibition. JEFFERSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA jeffersonsymphonyorchestra.org The 90-member orchestra, established in 1953, presents classical and contemporary music. The symphony performs five classical concerts in the winter season at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden and five open-air summer concerts in various Jefferson County parks. RED ROCKS PARK AND AMPHITHEATRE www.redrocksonline.com Red Rocks is a natural, geologically formed, open-air amphitheater in the Rocky Mountain foothills. With its breathtaking vistas and views of downtown Denver and its near-perfect acoustics, the 9,000-seat amphitheater is one of the region’s premier venues for concerts, musical performances and special events. The 675-acre Red Rocks Park is open to visitors and hikers year-round. A 30,000-square-foot visitors center is available for conferences and special events. IMAGESJEFFCO.COM
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Education
Training on Track Jeffco’s colleges keep pace with ever-changing workforce needs
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t Arapahoe Community College, your life can turn in nearly any direction. You can train to work with the very young in the college’s early childhood education program, the very old in its eldercare training courses – and even the recently departed in its mortuary science degree program, the only such program among Colorado’s 13 community colleges. And that’s just scratching the surface of a school that is at once the “Harvard of Car Tech,” as well as a springboard for thousands of people earning credits to transfer to four-year schools. “I want to be an elementary education teacher and decided on ACC because of cost, location and small class size,” says Roxanne Elsner, who entered the school after losing a 27-year career in banking and finance to downsizing. Jefferson County benefits from having three high-quality community colleges in its midst that educate thousands of people a year and help ensure a supply of skilled workers. Arapahoe’s main campus is in
Littleton; Red Rocks Community College is in Lakewood; and Front Range Community College has a campus in Westminster, serving the northern part of Jefferson County. President Obama’s unprecedented decision to invest $12 billion at community colleges across the country over the next 10 years bears witness to just how important the schools are in delivering training needed by employers and workers seeking new careers or enhanced skills. Front Range, for example, has seen a surge in enrollment. The college, which had about 8,600 full-time students in 2007, saw a year-over-year enrollment increase of more than 25 percent across its four campuses in fall 2008. At its Westminster campus in Jefferson County, enrollment spiked 40 percent. “It’s nice to be recognized for the place we play in economic recovery,” says Colleen Jorgensen, vice president of instruction at Red Rocks Community College, where enrollment is up 20 percent. And it’s not just students who can reach out to the colleges for assistance. Businesses, too, seek assistance
Red Rocks Community College is a leader in industry-specific training programs.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
S TA F F P H O T O
Story by Sam Scott
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S TA F F P H O T O
training current and future workers. In fall 2009, for example, Red Rocks launched a wind-turbine maintenance and repair program in consultation with Wazee Wind, a Denver-based company that provides maintenance for wind farms. The associate’s degree helps prepare student for certification as “wind smiths,” including training them to scale the heady heights involved in the job as well as in other energyrelated positions. “There are a lot of related technologies out there that would have a similar skill set,” Jorgensen says. Businesses clearly value the relationship. In January 2009, Suncor Energy Foundation donated the first of three $100,000 grants to Red Rocks to expand the college’s training facilities for process operators and craft technicians, key roles in the energy field. The money also provides scholarship funds for students at Red Rocks. Suncor is a Canadian energy company with operations in Colorado. “Creating partnerships between employers and community colleges is key to keeping pace with the growing demand for skilled technicians to advance Colorado’s New Energy economy,” says Dr. Michele Haney, Red Rocks president.
Arapahoe Community College prepares students with skills needed for in-demand career fields.
MORE INSIGHT JEFFERSON COUNTY’S WORKFORCE HELPERS ARAPAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WWW.ARAPAHOE.EDU Founded: 1965 Enrollment: Serves 20,000 credit and noncredit students annually Location: Main campus in Littleton and a campus in Douglas County Courses: Offers more than 70 degree and certificate programs
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WWW.FRCC.CC.CO.US Founded: 1968 Enrollment: More than 15,000 full- and part-time students Location: Operates campuses in Westminster, Boulder County, Larimer and Brighton Courses: Offers associate’s degree or certificates in more than 100 areas of study
RED ROCKS COMMUNITY COLLEGE WWW.RRCC.EDU Founded: 1969 Enrollment: About 14,000 full- and part-time students Location: Operates campuses in Lakewood and Arvada Courses: Offers more than 150 programs and 650 courses leading to two-year degrees or professional certificates
Getting the Job Done JEFFERSON COUNTY WORKFORCE CENTER CONNECTS JOB SEEKERS, EMPLOYERS The Jefferson County Workforce Center is a one-stop shop for people seeking jobs and employers with jobs to fill or people to train. Part of a statewide network, the center connects job seekers with companies looking for talent in Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. The main center in Golden offers job seekers Internet access, fax and copy machines, and free workshops on everything from resume writing to social networking. The business services team helps companies with hiring, training, retention and expansion. Businesses can post a job, hold a customized hiring event and select from thousands of qualified, prescreened candidates at all levels of skills and experience. The center offers the CareerReady Colorado Certificate program, which tests and validates job applicants’ skills in critical areas such as reading for information, applied mathematics and locating information. Businesses can take advantage of the Grow Your Own program, in which the center pays for half of a new employee’s salary for the first three months. Services are available to any
Mary Russell, center director. The center is a key component of Jeffco’s economic development efforts and often partners with other organizations, such as Red Rocks Community College, Jefferson County Business Resource Center and the Jefferson Economic Council. For more on the Jefferson County Workforce Center, go to www.jeffcoworkforce.org.
ANTONY BOSHIER
size business and most services are offered at no cost. In 2008, for example, the center assisted 34,000 job seekers and helped dozens of companies recruit, screen, train and retain employees. “We saved businesses more than $7 million in the Jefferson County area just by posting jobs through the local workforce region,” says
The Jefferson County Workforce Center helps businesses with issues ranging from hiring to training to retention.
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S TA F F P H O T O
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JEFFERSON COUNTY
Health
Reaching New Heights in Care Exempla Lutheran patient tower addition enhances services
Story by Carol Cowan
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n June 2010, the 400-bed Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge will open the doors to the first floor of its new North Pavilion, a five-story patient tower housing new surgical facilities, obstetrics and neonatal intensive care units, and acute-care patient rooms. Officials expect the remaining floors of the $225 million project to be finished by the end of the year. “Building the North Pavilion was an important decision that we considered carefully, and I think it shows that Lutheran is committed to remaining in the community,” says Robert Malte, president and CEO of the hospital. The culmination of a five-year modernization process, the investment assures the community of a brand new hospital by the end of 2010, he says.
“During this process, we have focused on patients and their families, fulfilling our motto of ‘family-centered care,’ and you’ll see that reflected throughout the building – from the beautiful new main lobby and coffee shop to the dedicated family space in the patient rooms,” he says. The 2,400-employee hospital recorded 17,734 inpatient admissions, more than 65,000 emergency room visits and 150,000 outpatient visits in 2008. The first floor of the pavilion houses all-new surgical facilities, including 10 spacious operating rooms outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and fully integrated with other departments to give doctors instant electronic access to patient information during procedures. Also located on the first floor, the new lobby features
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2,401
897
17,734
Number of licensed beds
Number of employees
Number of physicians
Inpatient admissions in 2008
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S TA F F P H O T O
“Buildings don’t care for patients; people do.”
a three-story atrium, fireplace, coffee shop and lounge area for families of surgery patients. On the second floor, Lutheran’s new OB unit will have 12 labor-and-delivery rooms, as well as two C-section operating rooms and a neonatal intensive care unit that can accommodate 20 newborns. A bunking area provides a place where families can stay near tiny ICU patients. Totally designed around the needs of mothers and newborns, 40 mother-baby postpartum and antepartum rooms will occupy the third floor, eight of which will be dedicated for high-risk moms. The comfortable rooms include a sleeper chair and sofa, so dads and family members can stay day and night.
The high demand for intermediate surgical care will be met on the fourth floor of the North Pavilion with 36 new, private, acute-care units arranged in three 12-bed pods, each with its own nurse station and supplies. The efficient layout, large rooms and dedicated family space will ease transition as patients “step down” from critical care. The fifth floor will remain available for future expansion. “Buildings don’t care for patients; people do,” Malte says. “But – considering the current focus on health-care reform – our investment in this new facility will allow our doctors and nurses to provide better care and achieve better patient outcomes, which ultimately helps lower the cost of health care.”
More Insight Also under construction in Jefferson County is the new St. Anthony Medical Campus in Lakewood. A 48-bed orthopedic hospital is set to open in summer 2010. A 222bed replacement for St. Anthony Central is slated for completion in 2011. In all, hospital facilities will total 630,000 square feet on a 25-acre site. The hospital is projected to generate an annual economic impact of $284 million in the community.
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Transportation
Buckling Up the Beltway Drive is on to finish last link in highway circling metro Denver
Story by Kevin Litwin Photography by Ian Curcio
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t has been planned for 40 years and under construction for 30. And although it has met some resistance, it looks like the Jefferson Parkway might finally be completed in the near future. A 20-mile stretch of the proposed parkway from Broomfield to Golden is all that is left to complete the Colorado 470 Beltway, providing motorists with a circular loop around the perimeter of metropolitan Denver. When fully constructed, the Beltway would stretch 106 miles, allowing motorists to bypass stop-and-go traffic through downtown Denver. Proponents of the Beltway point out that the completed highway will greatly improve traffic flow, especially by helping to alleviate rush-hour congestion.
The north/south Beltway connector that needs to be completed is vital because of projected growth that will occur in Northern Colorado over the next 20 years, says Bill Ray, interim executive director of the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority, a public-private partnership formed to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the parkway, which would be paid for in part by tolls along a 10-mile stretch of the road. “Traffic along I-25 is starting to approach gridlock, as is the traffic heading west along I-70. There is no way to expand I-25 or I-70, so the best way to eliminate many future traffic problems is to complete the Beltway – plain and simple,” he says. Jefferson Economic Council sees completion of the Beltway as critical to
Bill Ray is interim executive director of the Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority.
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What’s Onlinee Read more about Jefferson County’s transportation advantages at imagesjeffco.com.
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Proponents of completing the Beltway around metro Denver say it would bring Jefferson County higher-paying industry and jobs.
Jefferson County’s future development. “We have a great opportunity to ultimately create well-paying primary jobs here, but only if the Beltway is completed,” says Preston Gibson, president and CEO of the Jefferson Economic Council. “Several thousand acres of land in Jefferson County have yet to be developed, and if we build this regional connector, we can attract large, primary employers.” Gibson adds that without the
Beltway, those several thousand acres will probably be developed in other ways. “We would end up seeing housing developments with grocery stores, convenience stores, pizza parlors, dry cleaners – in other words, low-paying service jobs catering to an individual community,” he says. The county has a jobs-to-housing imbalance, he says, with a workforce of 300,000 people, but only 200,000 jobs.
“The Beltway would create jobs closer to home for people. It is all about economic sustainability,” Gibson says. If all goes as planned, final engineering for the Beltway will take place in 2010, with construction starting in 2011. “There are still some issues to iron out,” he says, “but the bottom line is that the Beltway will mean safer and better traffic flow, and will attract big, clean companies to the region.”
BUILD VS. DON’T BUILD WHAT THE BELTWAY COMPLETION WOULD MEAN TO JEFFCO A study for Jefferson Economic Council by Development Research Partners projected the economic impact on Jeffco’s growth over a 20-year span by completing or not completing the Beltway project:
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COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Build: 11.48 million square feet Not Build: 5.64 million square feet
TOTAL PAYROLL Build: $1.42B Not Build: $674.6M
TOTAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS Build: $17.8B Not Build: $8.97B
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT Build: 32,181 Not Build: 15,220
HOUSING UNITS Build: 4,645 Not Build: 4,164
Source: Beltway for Tomorrow, Jefferson Economic Council
JEFFERSON COUNTY
By Air, Ground and Track LIGHT-RAIL LINE IS LATEST LINK IN JEFFCO’S TRANSIT CHAIN Whether it’s moving goods or moving people, Jefferson County has the planes, trains and trucks to get the job done. Construction began in earnest in 2008 on a major addition to the region’s transportation grid, the 12.1-mile West Corridor light-rail transit project. The rail line will connect Union Station in downtown Denver to several Jefferson County destinations, including the Denver Federal Center and Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. The Regional Transportation District of Denver and the Federal Transit Administration signed a $308.6 million full-funding grant agreement for the project in early 2009. The line is expected to be open in early 2013. More than 160 freight companies serve the region, and Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific are Class 1 freight rail carriers. Amtrak provides passenger rail service for the region. AIR TO THERE Denver International Airport is home to 30 carriers and handles more than 620,000 passengers each year. The $4.2 billion airport includes a 16,000-foot runway and five 12,000foot runways. Located between Denver and Boulder in Jefferson County, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport handled more than 152,000 corporate and general aviation takeoffs and landings in 2008. It is the fourth-busiest airport in Colorado. The airport is open round the clock seven days a week and is 20 minutes from downtown Denver. The airport, which includes runways of 3,600, 7,500 and 9,000 feet, has a 25,000-square-foot terminal with meeting facilities, restaurant and U.S. Customs Service staffing available 24 hours a day.
visit our
advertisers 1st Bank www.efirstbank.com
Epilog Laser www.epiloglaser.com
APC www.apc.us.com
Exempla Lutheran Medical Center www.exempla.org
Arvada Economic Development Association www.aeda.biz
Intermountain Rural Electric Association www.intermountain-rea.com
City of Lakewood www.lakewood.org
Jefferson County www.jeffco.us
City of Westminster www.ci.westminster.co.us
Jefferson County Workforce Center www.jeffcoworkforce.us
City of Wheat Ridge www.ci.wheatridge.co.us Colorado School of Mines www.mines.edu Corporate Environments www.corporate-environments.com Denver Marriott West www.marriott.com/denwe Denver West Office Park www.denverwest.com
Jefferson Economic Council www.jeffco.org Red Rocks Community College www.rrcc.edu/wind Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport www.flyrmma.com The RMH Group www.rmhgroup.com The West Chamber of Commerce www.westchamber.org
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P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F PAT C O R K E R Y
Energy/Technology
The Sky’s No Limit Aerospace hub contributes to future missions and the next generation of technology
Story by Pamela Coyle
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rion, Juno, WISE, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph – monikers befitting grand missions. Their destination is space; their origins Jefferson County. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. and Ball Aerospace Corp. help anchor a strong statewide aerospace economy that is second only to California’s. Each has been a community fixture for decades and been an integral part of the U.S. space program. Lockheed Martin is the county’s largest private-sector employer and its Waterton Canyon complex will play a key role in the production and testing of up to a dozen nextgeneration military navigational satellites for the Air Force, a $3.6 billion project. In 2009, the company also won a $1 billion contract for the next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series, known as GOES-R, for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. “It will give us very much more capable weather prediction,” says Gary Napier, spokesman for Lockheed Martin. But enough about the Earth. Lockheed Martin is designing and building Orion, the crew exploration vehicle that will take the place of the Space Shuttle, perhaps as early as 2014,
a project that is worth $8.2 billion. Lockheed Martin is also building MAVEN, a Mars mission set for 2013; GRAIL, twin spacecraft that will orbit the moon, and Juno, a Jupiter mission – both scheduled for 2011. “These are robotic missions that will explore the universe where man probably will never go,” Napier says. At Ball Aerospace, projects target even farther reaches of space. Ball is a prime contractor for NASA’s Kepler mission, a $500 million satellite launched in March 2009. “Its mission is to discover planets orbiting around other stars, and if they are there, detect Earth-size planets,” says Dennis Ebbets, business development manager for astrophysics. A wide-field telescope looks along the spiral arm of the Milky Way, taking measurements every 15 minutes from the same vantage point of more than 100,000 stars. WISE, for wide-field infrared survey explorer, was set to launch in late 2009. It will scan the entire sky, capturing images for building a new catalogue of what’s out there to help target future big telescopes, Ebbets says. Ball Aerospace also builds several instruments for the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts installed its Wide Field
Camera 3 in May 2009. The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph went into place two days later. The next big thing is the James Webb, a supertelescope set to launch in 2014, that will take hours to record what the Hubble needs weeks to do. The WISE data will give the Webb targets, and Ball is building the optics and lightweight mirror array at the heart of it, Ebbets says. “That is our biggest astrophysics program and our highest visibility one,” he says.
By the Numbers
42 Percentage of Denver-area aerospace employees in Jeffco
26 Number of aerospace firms in Jefferson County
8,637 Jeffco total aerospace employment
$100,300 Average annual wage for aerospace employees
An MSL aeroshell static separation test at Lockheed Martin in Jefferson County
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ECONOMIC PROFILE BUSINESS CLIMATE Located on the western edge of Denver, Jefferson County is built on an innovation economy, with a cadre of high-tech companies developing new technologies for industries such as aerospace, bioscience and energy. The region boasts a wealth of education and knowledge assets, and houses top research institutions that are on the cutting edge for development of future technologies.
POPULATION (2008) Jefferson County, 533,339 Arvada*, 104,284 Edgewater, 5,136
Transportation & Public Utilities, 9.5% Manufacturing, 9% Construction, 6.7%
Denver 104.1 New York 217.5 San Francisco 162.7 Seattle 121.9 Boston 132.5 Portland, Ore. 120.0 Chicago 112.2
Golden, 17,321
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate, 5.6%
Lakewood, 140,989
Wholesale Trade, 3.2%
Dallas 92
LABOR FORCE STATISTICS
Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index, Second Quarter 2009 (Composite Index=100)
Littleton*, 1,360 Mountain View, 514 Westminster*, 46,327 Wheat Ridge, 30,894 Denver MSA, 2.8 million Colorado, 4.94 million *Municipality is located in multiple counties. Figure is for Jefferson County population
Jefferson County labor force, 312,059 Denver MSA labor force, 1.4 million
Households, 211,969
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Denver Federal Center, 6,200 Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missles, 5,550 ExemplaLutheran Medical Center, 2,401 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1,750 CaridianBCT Inc., 1,720 United Launch Alliance, 1,220 Ball Corp., 1,200 CoorsTek, 1,200 Travelers Express/Moneygram, 850 Service Magic, 730 Kaiser Permanente, 680
KEY INDUSTRY SECTORS Services, 34.2% Government, 16.2% Retail, 14.2%
JEFFERSON COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AIRPORTS
Average wage, $46,553
Denver International Airport www.flydenver.com
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport www.co.jefferson.co.us/airport
Jefferson County, $58,991
HIGHWAYS
Median age, 40.3
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COST OF LIVING
Denver MSA, $52,235 Colorado, $50,489 U.S. Average, $44,346
PER-CAPITA INCOME Jefferson County, $35,030 Denver MSA, $29,996 Colorado, $28,803
The region has several major highways, including I-25, a major north-south route, and I-70, a major east-west route, U.S. 36 and 85, and several major Colorado highways, including 7, 83, 93 and 121. More than 160 freight companies serve the area.
RAILROAD
U.S. Average, $26,464
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad www.bnsf.com
HOUSING MARKET
Union Pacific Railroad www.up.com
Average single-family detached home (2008), $263,780
Amtrak www.amtrak.com
Average rent, 2-bedroom, 1 bath, $787
FasTracks www.rtd.fastracks.com
What’s Onlinee For more in-depth demographic, statistical and community information on Jefferson County, go to imagesjeffco.com and click on Economic Profile.
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Ad Index 7 1 S T BA N K
4 9 I N T E R M O U N TA I N R U R A L E L EC T R I C A S S O C I ATI O N
12 APC 1 2 A RVA DA ECO N O M I C D E V E LO P M E N T A S S O C I ATI O N 2 C IT Y O F L A K E WO O D
4 J E F F E R S O N CO U N T Y 8 J E F F E R S O N CO U N T Y WO R K FO R C E C E N T E R
49 C IT Y O F W E S T M I N S TER 8 C IT Y O F W H E AT R I D G E 49 CO LO R A D O S C H O O L OF MINES
C4 JEFFERSON ECO N O M I C CO U N C I L 12 RED ROCKS CO M M U N IT Y CO L L EG E
4 5 CO R P O R AT E E N V I R O N M E N TS 2 8 D E N V E R M A R R I OT T W E S T
37 R O C K Y M O U N TA I N M E T RO P O LITA N A I R P O RT
1 D E N V E R W E S T O FFI C E PA R K C 2 E P I LO G L A S E R 4 0 E X E M P L A LU T H E R A N MEDICAL CENTER
6 T H E R M H G RO U P 6 THE WEST CHAMBER O F CO M M E RC E