Most important rule in real estate? Location! Location! Location!
Making the Most out of Commerce City’s Aerotropolis Location

Development of the city’s Aerotropolis is a key initiative for the Commerce City Economic Development Division.

The only major airport built in the United States in the past 27 years, DIA is now the fifth-busiest airport in the United States. DIA boasts 16 commercial carriers providing service to 160 domestic and international destinations. In 2011, DIA broke its all-time passenger traffic record with 53 million travelers.

In addition to commercial service, DIA’s central geographic location is ideal for cargo operations. The airport handled more than 50 million pounds of cargo in 2011 and its close proximity to I-70, one of the country’s primary east/west commerce routes, contributes to an extensive freight network between Denver and other cities. I-80 to the North, another major east/west corridor, is easily accessed by connecting to I-76.

As the Western and Northern border of DIA, Commerce City sits smack dab in the middle of the planned DIA Aerotropolis and the city and property owners plan to take full advantage of our fortunate location.

Two major property owners are helping Commerce City shape our Aerotropolis vision:

DIA Tech Center:
DIA Tech Center is the first property ready to launch Commerce City into the Aerotropolis. The development of the Denver International Airport Technology Center, also known as the DIA Tech Center, a 200-acre retail and business park site located next to Denver International Airport (DIA), was announced during the Airport Cities Conference by real estate developer C.H. Thompson Company, LLC.

At complete build out, the DIA Tech Center will accommodate up to 4,000 jobs in various airport related businesses and the total value is estimated at $200 million.

“Commerce City is now open for business with the DIA Tech Center as their first of several major airport related developments,” stated Thompson. “We want it to be easy to do business here, that’s why we chose a location in Commerce City, as they are incredibly helpful and are a great city to locate a business.”

The DIA Tech Center is a private, off airport, master planned commercial development strategically located at the northwest corner of Pena Blvd. and Tower Road in Commerce City, Colo., on the first street off ramp from DIA and at the first signalized intersection.
With both short term and long term location advantages, the DIA Tech Center is designed to accommodate most any commercial user that seeks a location next to the fifth busiest airport in the nation and 10th busiest in the world.

The property is zoned for a combination of an estimated 40,000 square feet of retail/services buildings, approximately 400 hotel rooms, a 25-acre airport surface parking lot, and approximately 1.5 million square feet of commercial/industrial buildings. Primary uses will include retail and services to the traveling public, such as gas/convenience store, restaurants, coffee shop, pet hotel/pet day care, car rental, tourist office, RV rental and destination retail, airport hotels for business and leisure travelers, time-sensitive manufacturing and distribution facilities, and other airport associated businesses.

“The DIA Tech Center is a high quality, value oriented, construction ready commercial development for off airport uses. It’s located virtually at the ‘front door’ of DIA and is one of the closest locations adjacent to the airport,” said Chris Thompson, owner of C.H. Thompson Company.

Cowley Companies:
One of the largest land owners along the Aerotropolis corridor is Cowley Companies, a real estate developer based on Phoenix, Arizona. With four properties and over 4000 acres in the Commerce City Aerotropolis corridor, Cowley will play an important role in shaping the city’s future.

• Nob Hill is located five minutes from the airport’s front door. Its immediate visibility and access to DIA make this a prime privately held piece of property. Sharing boundaries immediately at DIA’s western border and Pena Boulevard, the site offers unique views both back to DIA’s iconic terminal and also to the Colorado Rockies and downtown Denver. Nob Hill has a unique access point to the western gate of DIA with the potential of securitized access to DIA’s western airfield and the renewable energy sector of DIA, as well as quick access to DIA’s current car rental and air cargo facilities. Nob Hill is a premier location for airport conference/hospitality, airport technology businesses, support services to DIA, flex-tech and retail. Current access is available to the site at 88th and E-470 with additional future access provided as part of the Aerotropolis development plan.

• Third Creek and its 1,360 acres benefits from excellent view corridors and adjacency to both DIA and E-470. Third Creek shares access with the award winning Reunion residential development and has access to the regional transportation network. Land adjacent to DIA offers a unique opportunity for airport related employers to be located both conveniently to the workforce as well as the airport. Third Creek is also an important waypoint between the Colorado BioScience Park at Fitzsimons and the bioscience/ bioagricultural region of the DIA airport city. Future airport city development could include medical aviation support on the airfield adjacent to Third Creek, providing a unique generator for medical uses.

• Second Creek is located immediately North of Pena off Tower Road and is poised to capture hospitality, retail and other high traffic related uses headed North out of DIA. Tower has proven itself as a major connector between DIA and the community. Second Creek offers a key location for support retail, hospitality and ancillary airport support amenities.

• Northlands is over 2,200 acres located immediately North of DIA, providing the opportunity for larger scale uses such as sports complexes, bio engineered crops and other uses that benefit by being buffered from residential development. DIA already has access to its Northern operations in close proximity to Northlands, offering an off-airport opportunity for airport support uses.

For more information on any of these properties, please contact Commerce City Economic Development at 303-289-3620 or email c3ed@c3gov.com.