LAKEWOOD —Ten years after Belmar rose out of the old Villa Italia Mall to give Lakewood an official downtown, the iconic development is still expanding and drawing people from across the metro area to live, work and shop.
“There’s absolutely still more room for growth,” said Lakewood finance director Larry Dorr. “Some of those open surface parking lots will become buildings. If you look at the corner south of Whole Foods, there’s a dirt lot. It won’t be there forever — it’ll become a building.”
Designed to be an ever-changing project, Belmar was on the forefront of a national trend of creating high-density, mixed-use development that clustered along transportation corridors with an emphasis on getting around without a car.
Along the way it has also garnered numerous awards and has become an economic engine for the city of Lakewood.
“Belmar was absolutely progressive for the time, and actually some of the first LEED certified buildings in Colorado were here,” said Belmar marketing director Christina Brickley. “It will be a case study for years to come on sustainability.”
Dorr is one of the last people in Lakewood government who helped bring Belmar to life.
He recalls residents clamoring for a downtown and a fresh identity, goals that led to Belmar’s creation. He prefers to avoid talking about the financial impact and instead focuses on the 104-acre site’s cultural significance.
“The reason it’s meaningful is Belmar is a living, breathing, vibrant thing,” Dorr said. “Retailers will come and go over time, and unlike a traditional mall, there is no single anchor. As long as that energy is there, it will be around for the next 50 to 75 years.
Although Dorr doesn’t like to talk finance, the numbers are significant: Belmar generates approximately $200 million a year in retail sales and contributes 2.5 percent of Lakewood’s total sales tax revenue.
More than 2,000 residents live within the 22-block area, and another 4,000 are within walking distance.
Medical offices, restaurants, an ad agency, a hairstyling school — the list of Belmar tenants is long, and the businesses employ more than 3,000 workers.
The $850 million project began to take shape 14 years ago when then-Mayor Steve Burkholder appointed a citizen’s advisory committee to guide the redevelopment of the Villa Italia Mall.
Villa Italia had once been an economic and cultural center for Lakewood, but by 1999 it had deteriorated and was having a negative impact on the surrounding community.
The vision outlined by residents and city leaders showed that Lakewood needed a creative and sustainable development that would attract new kinds of residents and give identity to the community.
The goal also was to prevent further neighborhood deterioration and provide a source of employment.
Since opening, Belmar property values have increased 700 percent from 2004 to 2012. In the Alameda corridor, property values increased 36 percent from 2001 to 2013.
“I think it’s not only given Lakewood a downtown but also given the community the confidence to be bold,” Brickley said. “This has played out in bringing the light rail into town, the development of the Federal Center, of St. Anthony’s Hospital. It feels like the quality of life has improved both now and for the future.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com
Belmar 10-year anniversary events include:
May 15: Belmar Park dedication at 6 p.m.
May 17: Belmar Neighbor Breakfast, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Patio by Wystone’s Coffee + Tea. Belmar Gift Card Giveaway: Starting at 10 a.m. first 200 guests at the Information Center receive Belmar gift cards ranging from $20 to $100.
