Glenwood Meadows
"Our corporate philosophy is to bring high quality projects to the municipalities we enter and for the tenants we attract. To do so requires an excellent team. Clearly, we are fans of RTA, having utilized their skills many times. More importantly, we intend to utilize them in the future.”
Steven Shoflick, President, Miller Real Estate Investments
Why
The city of Glenwood Springs created a zoning plan specifically to develop Glenwood Meadows while also focusing on maintaining its small-town character. The city’s plan envisioned a Main Street shopping district supported by large-format retail. Land use and quality goals were defined to:
- Promote Glenwood Springs as the tourism and service center of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys
- Establish Glenwood Meadows as a retail hub and the economic catalyst for neighborhood housing opportunities, jobs, shopping, hospitality, recreation, and tourism
- Preserve, maintain, and enhance the visual qualities of the west entrance to Glenwood Springs
- Focus neighborhood retail around pedestrian-oriented streets and to break up large commercial parking fields
How
RTA utilized building information modeling (BIM) and 3D modeling to provide detailed studies of the retail center. Through an interactive design process, RTA reversed the typical shopping center orientation of the building layout by backing the buildings toward the highway and main vehicular access to strategically place pedestrian shopping activities coexisting with large retail anchors.
What
The resulting shopping district is a community hub with Market Street at the heart of the Glenwood Meadows. The street has angled parking with overflow parking located behind. Shoppers access Market Street through “pedestrian alleys.” Masonry materials, transom storefronts, and a variety of awning and canopy types, together with a varied signage program, help create a street shopping experience while maintaining the small-town character. Traditional roof forms, alley canopies, and two-story building elements combine to screen rooftop clutter from neighborhood vantages above the site. A pedestrian plaza terminates Market Street to the north, complete with a spring-like stone water feature and quiet lawn area. A free standing tower is the focal element of the project and identifying icon of the center.
Project Details
- Square footage: 402,000 sf of retail space
- Project cost: $48M
Design Details
- Pedestrian plaza
- Pedestrian-oriented streets
- Full-service shopping district that maintains the town’s character
- BIM and 3D modeling
- Regionally inspired forms and materials
Recognition
- 2008 Top Projects of Colorado-Plaque of Honor, Presented by Real Estate & Construction Review