University of Colorado Puts South Denver Facility on the Market

The University of Colorado announced that it is partnering with commercial real estate firm JLL for the sale of the CU South Denver facility in Lone Tree, Colorado. CU South Denver is a three-story, 175,780-square-foot, mixed-use, Class A building that was completed in two phases in 2002 and 2009 and is located a little less than 20 miles south of downtown Denver.

The building features a meeting venue with a capacity of more than 1,000, a two-story atrium with foyer, a theater, commercial kitchen, classrooms, and outdoor space. The site covers 14.4 acres and includes an additional 4.4 acres with the potential for development. A press release emphasizes the opportunity for adaptive reuse as an educational, religious, commercial, or event facility. It also includes parking space for more than 440 vehicles.

CU Denver South facility

“As movement to the suburbs has accelerated, this offering presents a compelling opportunity to enter into the southeastern Denver suburban market, the largest market in the city and one of the top performing,” said JLL Executive Vice President Patrick Bolick. “In its current state, the site provides a unique environment to meet a user’s immediate requirements, boasting high-quality construction, excellent visibility and infrastructure consisting of a cafeteria, auditorium and high-volume multi-purpose space.”

The University of Colorado originally announced the sale of the facility in Sept. 2020, citing a lack of financial viability. “The CU South Denver teams have worked hard to explore new options, creative solutions and have pursued operational efficiencies and consolidations at the facility,” said Todd Saliman, senior vice president for strategy, government relations and CFO, at the time. “Unfortunately, the subsidies the university has provided and would have to continue to provide are unsustainable.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.